In final DNC farewell, Reid blames McConnell, GOP for Trump

“I spend a lot of time in the Republican Senate, so it’s nice to be in a room that respects reason and facts,” Reid said as he took the stage.

“I’ve never seen anything more craven than Mitch McConnell and what he has done to our democracy,” Reid added, describing what he called the “fear and “hatred” stoked by Republican policies. “In other words, the only thing Republicans, like Mitch McConnell, have accomplished is setting the stage for a hateful con man, Donald Trump.”

Although the senator waited until after Hillary Clinton won his state’s caucuses to endorse her, he has been a prominent supporter for the former secretary of state on Capitol Hill. In his speech he referred to her as “the most qualified and prepared candidate in the history of America.”

Reid criticized Trump’s policies towards women and minorities, but concluded that he must feel comfortable in the confines of the GOP, joking, “When Trump decided to run for president, he probably said to himself: ‘I’m an egomaniac. I don’t believe in science. I think women are inferior. Where would I feel at home?'”

Next year the Senate Democratic leader will retire from Capitol after nearly 30 years in office.

Prior to his remarks, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, New York Sen. Chuck Shumer, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reid’s wife Landra paid tribute to Reid. President Obama also appeared in the video to commend Reid for his work on the Affordable Care Act, saying, “Millions of people are better off for the work we did … Harry, we’ve had a good run. You and I, we’ve fought the good fight and we did it together.”

“In a few months, I’ll be stepping out of the ring, one last time,” Reid said of his departure from the Senate. “But Democrats, I will always — always — be in your corner. So together, let’s keep fighting, together, fighting the good fight!”