Reid: Trump ‘would be a miniature Putin’

by Jordain Carney - 10/06/16 2:22 PM ET

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blasted Donald Trump on Thursday, arguing that if the Republican presidential nominee wins the White House he’ll be beholden to the Koch brothers and special interest groups.

“Trump would be a miniature [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, even though he’s bigger physically,” the outgoing Democratic leader told reporters.

{mosads}Reid argued that conservative donors Charles and David Koch — frequent foes of the Nevada senator — would use their influence to turn the United States into an oligarchy if Trump defeats Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in November.

Democrats have repeatedly played up Trump’s compliments of Putin, arguing he wouldn’t stand up to Putin and floating that his position toward the country is because his companies have ties to Russia.

Reid’s latest jab at Trump comes after he blasted the GOP nominee for mispronouncing Nevada while he was in the state Wednesday.

He added Thursday that Trump refused to listen when audience members shouted at him that he was mispronouncing the state.

“What amazed me about his visit to Nevada wasn’t just he doesn’t know how to say the word Nevada … [but] how Trump acted like he knew what was going on despite being completely ignorant,” Reid told reporters.

He added that “even though his staff had trained him and taught him, this is like going to a state and you saying you’re in a different state. … Donald Trump, nothing is embarrassing to him.”

Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are currently locked in a tight race in Nevada. Clinton is leading by less than 2 points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polling.

But Reid brushed aside the chance that Trump would carry his state, recommending he return to Nevada soon because the last visit was “totally unhelpful for his campaign.”

“We have a nonpaid volunteer organization called the Nevada State Democratic Party that is going to sweep Hispanics because they know that Mexicans aren’t all rapists,” he said, referring to Trump’s controversial remark from last year. “The world should know … that the only people who are supporting him in Nevada are the people they are trying to buy.”

Tags Donald Trump Harry Reid Hillary Clinton