Harry Reid says 2020 Democratic field will resemble an 'old folks' home'

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) isn't letting his impending retirement mellow him out. As Jason Zengerle's piece in New York on the final days of Reid's Senate career shows, the Nevada native is as blunt as ever.

During a meeting earlier this month, an aide asked Reid what he thought about Vice President Joe Biden saying he's open to running for president in 2020, and if he would support him. "It depends on who's running," Reid replied. "It appears we're going to have an old folks' home. We've got [Elizabeth] Warren; she'll be 71. Biden will be 78. Bernie [Sanders] will be 79." Reid has also been side-eyeing Democrats attempting to seek common ground with Donald Trump, and waited just three days after the election to release a statement calling Trump a "sexual predator who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate." Reid told Zengerle what he "was trying to say is, 'Be careful, because this is not all fun and games. The stuff he has said has been hateful and disruptive and crude and not helpful to anybody, and so be careful what you agree with him about.'"

Reid is working hard to get his fellow Democrats energized to fight Trump without him, and he wants them to know how important it is to stick to their guns. "It's hard for someone in my business who tries to ingratiate himself with everybody to do something that you know when you do it, you're going to have some people not like it," he said. "We as public servants would be better off not worrying about everybody not liking us, because it's easy to be around here and get reelected and reelected and reelected and not take stands on much of anything."

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Read more about Reid's combative strategy in taking on Trump and how Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will replace him in leading Senate Democrats at New York.