Reid predicts Clinton will choose Garland for Supreme Court

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid says he is convinced that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will nominate Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court if she is elected president.

Senate Republicans have blocked Garland's confirmation since President Barack Obama nominated him in March. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the next president will choose the person to replace late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Reid said on a conference call Thursday that he is predicting Clinton will pick Garland "with some degree of credibility." A spokeswoman for Reid later said he had not spoken to Clinton directly about whether she would nominate Garland and was speculating.

He praised Garland and said Clinton's team would not want to "rock the boat" with a new pick. Garland is the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Reid said Republicans who are blocking Garland's nomination are "minions" and "enablers" of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. He said Trump is unfit for office.