Harry Reid, in interview, calls Trump worst US president ever
WASHINGTON — Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called Donald Trump “amoral” and the worst president the nation has ever had in an interview published Wednesday.
Reid, 79, an outspoken critic of Trump, said in an interview with The New York Times Magazine that the president is “not immoral but is amoral,” a man without conscience.
“I think he is without question the worst president we’ve ever had. We’ve had some bad ones, and there’s not even a close second to him,” Reid said in the interview at his home in Henderson.
Reid, a Democrat, said of Trump, “he’ll lie. He’ll cheat. You can’t reason with him.”
The former Nevada senator retired from the Senate in 2017 and was diagnosed last year with a cancerous tumor on his pancreas. Since then, Reid has granted few interviews. The New York Times Magazine interview was conducted Dec. 11, and Reid acknowledged the severity of his health situation.
Reid has a history of battling with political adversaries. He called President George W. Bush the worst president ever in 2006. The Nevada senator also called Bush a loser and a liar, and while Reid later apologized for calling the president a loser, he did not apologize for calling him a liar. Reid said Bush promised during his election not to advance the Yucca Mountain Project.
Reid also tangled with then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
A cantankerous leader himself, Reid decided to step down after an accident on exercise equipment left him seriously wounded. He was succeeded as Senate minority leader by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Reid told The New York Times Magazine that he still speaks with Schumer, and he praised House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for her political acumen and willingness to take on Trump.
He also brushed off an effort to rename McCarran International Airport the Harry Reid Las Vegas International Airport.
The Clark County Commission has tabled action on a proposal for the name change for further discussion.
A petition to oppose the name change is being circulated by the Clark County Republican Party.
Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.
