Harry Reid: Cliven Bundy's armed supporters are "domestic terrorists"

The Senate majority leader also questions the patriotism of Bundy's gun-toting buddies

Published April 17, 2014 9:43PM (EDT)

Nevada's renegade rancher Cliven Bundy has his fans, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is not one of them.

Bundy is currently in a standoff of sorts with the federal government, largely due to his 20-year-long refusal to pay taxes for using federal land to graze his cattle. While Bundy's legal case is weak — about as weak as his grasp on Nevada history and constitutional law — he has his supporters. They tend to be angry-looking white guys with guns.

But although Bundy and co. are in a struggle with the federal government in general, Nevada Sen. and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has as of late become their boogeyman of choice, mainly due to his claim that the conflict was "not over" and that it would not be acceptable for Americans to dismiss laws they don't like, as Bundy has.

With his most recent comments on the matter, however, Reid has all but guaranteed that the Bundyites' animosity toward him will only increase.

According to Nevada reporter Jon Ralston, Reid threw down the rhetorical gauntlet on Thursday while at an event hosted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, calling Bundy's armed supporters false patriots who would, in fact, be more accurately described as domestic terrorists:

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As you might imagine, some conservatives on Twitter weren't exactly thrilled with Reid's description of their brothers in arms.


By Elias Isquith

Elias Isquith is a former Salon staff writer.

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