By Adam Studzinski
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois’ senior senator believes the upcoming election is the most important in his lifetime.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) spoke to Illinois Wesleyan University students Tuesday, urging them, and everyone else, to vote on or before Nov. 8.
Durbin said Donald Trump’s threats Sunday night to throw Hillary Clinton in jail if he’s elected marked an all-time low for American politics. He compared those remarks to dictators in foreign countries putting their opponents in jail after winning an election.
“And I’m thinking to myself, does he even know what’s going on in the world today in these banana republics and dictatorships that do exactly the same thing?” said Durbin. “This is not what America is all about. Mr. Trump doesn’t understand that.”
Durbin called some of the recently discovered comments Trump made about women “disgusting.”
“Some of the things that he said were horrible,” said Durbin. “You just wouldn’t say the things that he did, even in jest.”
Some Republicans who had expressed support for Trump have been withdrawing their endorsements. Durbin said Republicans are left with a hard choice.
“They have to decide where they want to be in the course and sweep of history,” he said.
Durbin hoped once this election is over the Republican Party will once again find its footing.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at adam.studzinski@cumulus.com.
