Washington (CNN)The departing leader of the Senate Democrats, Harry Reid, blasted President-elect Donald Trump on Friday as having "emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry" and said the responsibility for unifying the country is in his hands.
"The election of Donald Trump has emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America," Reid, the Senate minority leader, said in a stinging statement, which is a departure from the strategy of other leading Democrats.
"White nationalists, Vladimir Putin and ISIS are celebrating Donald Trump's victory, while innocent, law-abiding Americans are wracked with fear -- especially African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, LGBT Americans and Asian Americans," Reid continued. "Watching white nationalists celebrate while innocent Americans cry tears of fear does not feel like America." An aide to Reid explained that veteran Nevada Democrat was firing away now because he was "appalled by the rush to normalize Trump." The aide said to expect more fire from Reid in the coming days.
Reid, who did not seek re-election this year, also accused Trump of being a "sexual predator" -- a reference to the women who have said that Trump assaulted them. Spokespeople for Trump did not immediately return CNN requests for comment Friday. But Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who is up for re-election in 2018, condemned Reid's remarks in a statement, saying they "needlessly feed the very divisiveness that is tearing this country apart."
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