In an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe, billionaire Charles Koch went after Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid for his nonstop and occasionally personal attacks on him and his brother.

“I want to ask you something personal… about how surprised you seemed a few years back at the level of vitriol leveled against you [and] your family,” host Joe Scarborough began.

“Even Harry Reid called you un-American, something that we talked about on our show time and time again,” he continued, before playing the soundbite of Reid’s comments. “What kind of personal impact did that have on you and your families, and were you shocked by the level of vitriol?”

“If you get in this business, you’ve got to realize that Harry Truman was right; if you can’t stand the heat, don’t go in the kitchen,” Koch said.

“But it’s frightening for the future of this country to have these public officials try to hurt and destroy private citizens who oppose what they’re doing, rather than have a conversation and maybe find, as we’ve done with the White House, find areas we can work together on, things we agree to make the country better,” he said. “Instead of this vitriol and these dishonest attacks.”

“How did you feel the night of the election results came in after Harry Reid, the Democrat that was running against you and your brother all year ends up. You guys won most of the races that you got involved in,” Scarborough pointed out.

Koch said that the candidates they backed actually didn’t do as well as it may seem, but did say, “anytime ad hominem attacks and lack of civility, lack of tolerance, is shown to not work, to be anathema to the American people, that’s a step forward for a free and progressive society.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.

[Image via screengrab]

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