Donald Trump and the Republican Party

Floor Speech

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Mr. REID. Mr. President, Donald Trump is the Republican Presidential nominee. Let's think about that--the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and many other Republicans, such as Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower. The party of these great people nominated a misogynistic, anti-Latino, anti-Muslim, and anti-immigrant xenophobe. The party of Teddy Roosevelt nominated a billionaire con man who scams working people.

Donald Trump represents everything that Americans detest about a system that is rigged for the super-rich. Here is a person who was born into immense wealth, but he uses his father's fortune to rip people off and intimidate those who speak out against his shady business practices.

Here is a person who was gifted with the resources to make a difference in the world. He could be doing many things to improve the lives of working Americans. Instead, he has only worked to build his own celebrity, his own brand. He uses that fame as a bully pulpit to sow hatred and intolerance.

Yet, in spite of all of this, Donald Trump is now the Republican Party's Presidential nominee. He is no accident. His nomination is not some mistake. Donald Trump is the natural evolution of a party that spent 8 years honing a platform that is anti-immigrant, anti-woman, anti-Obama, and anti-working people.

It wasn't all that long ago that Republicans used to engage Democrats on policy. There was a time when we could work together on substantive legislation. I saw it. I felt it. It was wonderful.

But all that ended when President Obama was elected. Senator McConnell ordered a total blockade of any policy proposed by President Obama and any Democrats. Led by Senator McConnell, Republicans have abandoned the marketplace of ideas. They abandoned thoughtful policy for fear and resentment politics.

It didn't matter where these ideas came from. It didn't matter if they came from Republicans. Republican leaders repeated their one big line over and over: ``Whatever President Obama proposes, even if it's a Republican idea, it cannot help you and will hurt you.''

These are not my ideas. They have been written about and confirmed for years.

For Republicans, it wasn't about helping the American people anymore. It was all about embarrassing and humiliating President Obama and frustrating his agenda no matter the cost.

All the while, Donald Trump was watching as the Republican Party lost its identity and its moral compass. Trump watched as Republican leaders embraced the darkest elements of their party.

Now Trump is doing what he learned from Senator McConnell and every other Republican leader for the past 8 years. Trump watched how Republicans in Congress treat American women. He saw Republicans block equal pay for women and undermine women's health care. ``Planned Parenthood'' became a swear word. Donald Trump has treated women with disdain. He has called women dogs, pigs, and he defends rape.

Trump watched as congressional Republicans walked away from comprehensive immigration reform. He listened as House Republicans likened DREAMers to drug mules. Is it any surprise that Donald Trump-- now the Republican nominee--uses Latinos and immigrants to generate fear, to be a fearmonger? He has called undocumented immigrants criminals and rapists.

Donald Trump has watched Republicans deny the existence of climate change, and he is following in their footsteps. He would rather believe in crackpot conspiracy theories than accept climate change. It is real, but this is what he said about climate change: ``The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make United States manufacturing noncompetitive.'' Try that one on. That is a direct quote. That kind of harebrained thinking has no place in the White House, but sadly it is not far from the anti-science climate change denial that is now Republican Party doctrine.

On nearly every issue, Donald Trump has simply adopted the positions of the modern Republican Party. Through their obstruction and anti- Obama politics, Senator McConnell and Republican leaders constructed Donald Trump's Presidential campaign and his platform piece by piece. He is the nominee of the Republican Party, and he is the nominee the Republican leaders deserve. Now the Republican Party is his.

Republicans want Trump to be their standard bearer. They are scrambling to get behind this hate-spewing nominee. There is no better example of Republicans marching lockstep with Trump than the Supreme Court vacancy. The Republican National Committee is trying to bring their party together by promising this dangerous man will appoint Justices to the Supreme Court. Republicans say they want their misogynistic, anti-women, anti-Latino, anti-middle class billionaire to determine the balance of the Supreme Court for the next generation. Republican Senators say they trust the judgment of a man who mocks our veterans, belittles John McCain as not being a war hero, and mocks Americans with disabilities. They want him to fill the Supreme Court. It is a sad day for this country when the Republican Party trusts the judgment of a vile, swindling billionaire. But anyone who has been paying attention to what Republicans have been doing the past 8 years should not be shocked.

Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee. I support Hillary Clinton. I am not hiding from that. Republican Senators need to stop waffling about Donald Trump. Not going to the convention doesn't take away the fact that he is the Republican nominee. I have heard a number of Republican Senators say: I am not going to the convention. Well, that solves the problem, doesn't it? Republican Senators need to say whether they are going to vote for this guy. The Republican Party's chickens have come home to roost in the form of Donald J. Trump.

Mr. President, I ask the Presiding Officer to announce--I see Senator Alexander, the senior Senator from Tennessee, on the floor--the business of the day.

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