• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After 40 investors rejected Jeff Bezos’ Amazon pitch, his parents offered $245,573 of their retirement savings

2

China suffers another setback in effort to de-dollarize global finance as anchor in the greenback's dominance quietly exits Beijing's payment scheme

3

D.C.'s affordability headache has a silver bullet, new study shows: Tackling $40 trillion national debt would boost household income by $36,000

1

After 40 investors rejected Jeff Bezos’ Amazon pitch, his parents offered $245,573 of their retirement savings

2

China suffers another setback in effort to de-dollarize global finance as anchor in the greenback's dominance quietly exits Beijing's payment scheme

3

D.C.'s affordability headache has a silver bullet, new study shows: Tackling $40 trillion national debt would boost household income by $36,000
Leadership

Harry Reid Blames Republicans’ ‘Mindless Behavior’ for Trump’s Rise

By
Tessa Berenson
Tessa Berenson
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tessa Berenson
Tessa Berenson
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 17, 2016, 1:04 PM ET
Harry Reid Delivers Major Address On Rise Of Donald Trump And GOP Politics
Alex Wong—Getty Images
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Harry Reid delivered a blistering speech Thursday morning blaming the Republican leadership for Donald Trump’s rise.

Speaking at the Center for American Progress, the Senate Minority Leader said, “For eight years, [Republican leaders] drained all the oxygen from the policy debate in this country by replacing thoughtful engagement with resentment and hatred… This is exactly the kind of mindless behavior that has hollowed out our political debate and created the conditions for Trump to rise. Republican leaders created the drought conditions. Donald Trump simply struck the match.”

Reid cited a myriad of examples of Democratic policies and proposals over the course of President Obama’s administration that he felt Republicans acted unfairly towards, including the Affordable Care Act, gun control, and most recently, Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

Reid said Republican obstructionism bred “resentment and hatred” in its party. “This resentment and hatred took three main forms,” he said. “First, rendering President Barack Obama “illegitimate.” Second, fear-mongering against Muslims. Third, sowing hatred against Latinos. These forces, which are all now synonymous with Donald Trump’s candidacy, were incubated by Republican leaders for the past eight years.”

In the end, Reid called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to denounce Trump, and for Congressional Democrats to push forward progressive policies.

This article was originally published on Time.com.

About the Authors
By Tessa Berenson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Leadership


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.