Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., counting his chickens, said Sunday that Democrats are “fairly certain” to regain control of the Senate in November’s election.
In an interview Sunday on “The Cats Roundtable,” a radio show hosted by supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis on AM 970 in New York and in Washington, Reid said Trump appears certain to win the Republican presidential nomination.
Reid suggested that Trump’s presence on the ticket will boost Democrats in down-ticket races as voters drawn to polls to oppose the GOP candidate also support Democratic Senate candidates.
“I can’t imagine how the establishment Republicans feel about somebody who’s about as far from anything that anyone believes in as Donald Trump,” Reid said. “I can’t imagine this man being the nominee for any political party, let alone the Republican Party.”
Reid said Americans will reject Trump, who he said “denigrates women,” mocks “people who have handicaps,” and encourages his supporters to engage in violence against protesters.
Reid argued the Senate GOP’s refusal to consider Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is hurting incumbent Republicans’ chances. He predicted Democrats will oust Republican incumbents in Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. He also offered bullish take on former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland ousting Sen. Rob Portman, and on Democrats taking over the Florida seat GOP Sen. Marco Rubio is vacating.
Reid also cited Missouri, Iowa and Arizona as states where strong Democratic candidates are threatening GOP incumbents.
“We only need four [seats] to take the majority,” Reid said. “With the numbers I’ve given you, it’s going to be a fairly certain thing that we can do that.”
Reid, who is retiring this year, said his second-in-command, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is “going to be the [next] Democratic leader” of the Senate.
