Sen. Elizabeth Warren slams 'extremists' Trump and Ted Cruz: 'They demean millions of Americans'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) ripped both her Republican colleagues and GOP presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump on Thursday, linking the party's hesitance to accept a Supreme Court nominee with the infighting surrounding their presidential primaries.

"What's the problem they've got with the two guys at the top right now -- with Donald Trump and with Ted Cruz?" she explained to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. "These are both people who basically deny the legitimacy of their opponents; they go on the attack. They demean millions of Americans, that's what identifies them as extremists. Republicans in the Senate are breaking apart over this."

At the same time, Warren added, GOP senators have refused to proceed on not only the vacancy on the high court, but circuit court and district court judge vacancies, among other positions.

"All I can say is, that's what constitutes extremism in the United States Senate," she argued. "That's what has nursed what's going on now in the presidential primaries."

Warren called out Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), pointing out that, if the current president were a Republican and not Barack Obama, there would be "a greater accomodation" for nominees submitted by that administration.

"Can you be any more naked about what's going on?" Warren asked. "There is no point of principle here for those guys. This is naked politics."

Watch the interview, as aired on Thursday, below.