Republicans bashed former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her recent comments suggesting supporters of former President Donald Trump be “formally” deprogrammed.
Clinton took heat Friday after her comments during an interview the previous night with CNN during which she suggested the GOP base is lined with bigots.
Some Republicans didn’t mince words, including Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there should be a “formal deprogramming” of Trump supporters during an interview with CNN. (Screenshot/CNN)
“Hillary Clinton wants Trump supporters to be formally reeducated,” Blackburn wrote Friday on X, formerly Twitter.
“Does she know that this is America and not a Communist regime?”
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican, pointed out that “7 years ago, Hillary Clinton infamously labeled half of our country ‘deplorable’ [and] ‘irredeemable.’
“Last night on CNN, she called Republicans ‘extremists,’ a ‘cult’ [and] called for the ‘formal [deprogramming]’ of Republicans across our country.’
“This is unhinged behavior.”
Former GOP congressional candidate Karoline Leavitt tweeted that Trump “has said countless times that they are only coming after him, because he stands in their way from coming after you — and Hillary Clinton just confirmed that to be true.”
Discussing the recent upheaval on Capitol Hill, Clinton contrasted what she called the “sane” part of the GOP caucus that helped prevent a government shutdown and the “cult” wing devoted to Trump.
“That’s the way it used to be,” Clinton told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Thursday. “I mean, we had very strong partisans in both parties in the past, and we had very bitter battles over all kinds of things … but there wasn’t this little tail of extremism, waving, you know, wagging the dog of the Republican Party as it is today.
“And, sadly, so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He’s only in it for himself. He’s now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions. And when do they break with him?
“Because at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members, but something needs to happen.”
The former presidential hopeful predicted that “sadly” Trump will be the Republicans’ 2024 nominee, but she expressed confidence President Biden would defeat him. Clinton was then asked how she has “processed” the reality that the man who defeated her in 2016 is seeking the White House again despite his legal battles.
Hillary Clinton and former President Donald Trump (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“It’s a classic tale of an authoritarian populist who really has a grip on the emotional, psychological needs and desires of a portion of the population,” Clinton said. “And the base of the Republican Party, for whatever combination of reasons — and it is psychological — sees in him someone who speaks for them, and they are determined that they will continue to vote for him, attend his rallies, wear his merchandise because, for whatever reason, he and his very negative, nasty form of politics resonates with them.
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“Maybe they don’t like migrants. Maybe they don’t like gay people or Black people or the woman who got the promotion at work they didn’t get, whatever the reason,” Clinton added.
“So, it is like a cult, and somebody has to break that momentum. And that’s why I believe Joe Biden will defeat them and hopefully then that will be the end and the fever will break. And then Republicans can try to get back to fighting about issues among themselves and electing people who are at least, you know, responsible and accountable.”
Fox News Digital’s Joseph Wulfsohn contributed reporting.