In Las Vegas, Biden calls Trump’s remarks about women ‘divisive’

By Chris Kudialis

Published Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016 | 1:57 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016 | 5:45 p.m.

A Hillary Clinton presidency and a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate would lead the country toward becoming the clean energy leader of the world, while providing greater financial benefits for college students and retirees, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senate hopeful Catherine Cortez Masto said at a rally this morning in Las Vegas.

“Hillary is going to need a Democratic Senate,” Biden said during a 30-minute speech as a crowd of nearly 1,000 sign-waving union workers cheered at Culinary Union Local 226 headquarters. “This Latina woman is as tough as nails.”

Cortez Masto, who grew up in Las Vegas and graduated from UNR, said she believes all Americans are entitled to a world-class education, “regardless of what neighborhood you come from.” She boasted that her political career, which includes an eight-year tenure as Nevada attorney general, came as a result of education in Nevada’s public schools.

“If you want to go to college, you shouldn’t have to mortgage your future to get that education,” she said.

Cortez Masto said that if elected, she would prioritize making Nevada a leader in geothermal and solar energy. “We are primed for it; we can have an impact on climate change and reduce our carbon footprint,” she said.

Biden added, “North America will remain the epicenter of energy, not the Arabian Peninsula.”

Biden and Cortez Masto took aim at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, calling Trump’s remarks about women “divisive.”

“I’m tired of new politicians that want to go to Washington to demean women,” Biden said. “Can you imagine any other president in U.S. history who would say that?”

Biden’s speech Thursday was twice interrupted by protesters, the first a Trump supporter who shouted derogatory remarks about former President Bill Clinton before being drowned out by crowd chants of “We go high, they go low,” and escorted out by security.

Another man, standing near the front row, asked what Biden would do to stop Saudi Arabia’s influence in the ongoing Yemeni civil war. As rally attendees restarted chants of “We go high, they go low,” Biden stopped them, and urged security to leave the man alone while he answered the question.

“Well hush up a minute then,” he said to the man.

“We’ve been pushing the Saudis as hard as we can not to go into Yemen and bomb in Yemen. But the Houthis are equally as bad — they’re just firing on American ships as well. That’s why we’re working so hard to get a ceasefire and get a negotiated settlement,” Biden said as the man nodded his head, gave a thumbs-up and the crowd applauded. “So, you’re right and you have a reason to be concerned.”

Speaking at the podium before Biden, Trump International Hotel employee Jeffrey Wise criticized Donald Trump for “exploiting workers with unfair wages.”

“Not once during this time have I felt Mr. Trump respects me or my contributions at his hotel,” Wise said. “We cannot afford to make him our president.”

Union Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline praised Clinton and Cortez Masto as “strong women” who “understand the working class.”

“It doesn’t matter what sexual orientation, what color we are or what language we speak,” Arguello-Kline said. “We know they’re both going to work really hard for us.”

Biden concluded his speech Thursday reiterating his optimism for the country, saying the best is yet to come for the United States. He dismissed claims that the European Union, Arabian Peninsula or China will overtake the U.S. as the world’s top power of the 21st century.

“China doesn’t only not have enough energy, but they don’t have enough water,” Biden said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and I am more optimistic about America’s chances today than I’ve ever been in my life.”