Donald Trump 'Fueled His Campaign With Bigotry and Hate,' Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Says

— -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is not going quietly into retirement now that Donald Trump is the next president.

While many of his Democratic colleagues released conciliatory statements this week after Trump’s victory, the retiring Nevada senator issued a blistering statement today that blamed Trump for fostering an atmosphere of negativity and fear that many in both parties are now saying they must move beyond.

“If this is going to be a time of healing, we must first put the responsibility for healing where it belongs: at the feet of Donald Trump, a sexual predator who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate,” Reid, 76, said. “Winning the Electoral College does not absolve Trump of the grave sins he committed against millions of Americans. Donald Trump may not possess the capacity to assuage those fears, but he owes it to this nation to try.”

Reid spent much time this year on the Senate floor inveighing against Trump, calling him a racist at one point during a floor speech.

His statement today was almost a mirror image of the comments provided by his successor in the Democratic leadership position, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who said Wednesday, “This was a divisive and hard fought election, and the outcome surprised many Americans from both political parties. It is time for the country to come together and heal the bitter wounds from the campaign.”