At Las Vegas rally, Warren attempts to tie Trump taint to Heck

By Megan Messerly

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016 | 6:10 p.m.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren delivered a passionate takedown of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Joe Heck at a rally at Springs Preserve this afternoon.

The Massachusetts senator attempted to link the two Republicans together in her address, rattling off a long list of grievances against Trump and chastising Heck for standing behind the Republican nominee. By contrast, she portrayed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and U.S. Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto as “two tough, smart women” who have dedicated their lives to public service.

Cortez Masto appeared alongside Warren at the rally, which was hosted by Hillary Clinton’s Nevada campaign. About 500 people attended.

Warren criticized Heck for sticking with Trump despite the recent revelations from the New York Times over Trump’s tax returns, the criticism over his handling of Trump University, and some of the remarks Trump has made about women, including those he made recently about Miss Universe pageant winner Alicia Machado.

“Trump calls women fat pigs and bimbos and tries to shame a former beauty pageant winner on Twitter at 3 o’clock in the morning and Joe Heck still sticks with him,” Warren said. “If Joe Heck doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to Trump, I guarantee he doesn’t have the backbone to go to D.C. and help Nevada families.”

She also stressed the importance of the U.S. Senate race in Nevada, where Heck and Cortez Masto are battling to replace retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid.

“(Republicans) are drooling over the idea of taking Harry Reid’s seat, the ultimate revenge for Harry’s many years of hard work,” Warren said.

Warren noted the millions of dollars outside groups have pumped into the U.S. Senate race, asking the crowd whether Nevada is for sale. “But Sheldon Adelson and the Koch brothers sure think it is,” Warren said, referring to the Republican billionaire and casino magnate from Nevada and the two billionaire Republican donor brothers, respectively. “They’ve got money, but we’ve got our voices and we’ve got our votes.”

Many of the attacks Warren made on Heck throughout the speech echoed those that Cortez Masto’s campaign and other Democratic groups have been making in television ads, like criticizing Heck calling the recession a “blip on the radar” and highlighting the money he has taken from the payday loan industry.

Warren also didn’t hold back on Trump, calling him a “pathetic bully, a man who will never be president.”

She said she was happy to be in Nevada campaigning for Clinton and Cortez Masto, calling them “two smart women who fight for women, who fight for children, who fight for seniors, who fight for working families.”

Cortez Masto, speaking before Warren at the rally, said she was “honored” to be on the ballot with Clinton, calling her the “clear choice for us.” In her brief speech, she highlighted the importance of green technology, fighting for the middle class, and ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work.

In an oblique jab at Heck reminiscent of several television ads running against him, Cortez Masto talked about how “some politicians in Washington” are telling women what to do with their health care decisions. Recent television ads and mailers have criticized Heck for voting to defund Planned Parenthood. (Heck has said that the money should instead be given to community health clinics.)

She also turned a common attack against her — that she is Reid’s “handpicked candidate” — on its head, calling Heck the Koch brothers’ “handpicked candidate.”

Recent polls show Clinton and Trump locked in a statistical tie in the presidential race and Cortez Masto and Heck in a dead heat for the U.S. Senate seat.