Hillary Clinton Says Congressional Republicans Have 'Hung Their Spines Up on the Wall'

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused congressional Republicans of hanging up their spines when it comes to dealing with former President Donald Trump.

In an interview with MSNBC's Willie Geist, part of which aired on Friday, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee described Republicans as having been completely taken over by the influence of Trump.

Clinton made the remarks in connection to the willingness of many Republicans to back the former president even after events such as his attacks on Dr. Anthony Fauci and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"Sadly, the Republican Party has gone along with [Trump], and for the life of me, people who I knew, who I served with, who fall in line on the outrageous accusations ... honestly they have hung their spines up on the wall as they walk into their office," Clinton continued.

"We are seeing the results of a party that has been taken over by a demagogue, and we know from history, that's not good news. We have to do much more than we're doing now to fight back against this very organized effort to undermine our elections."

Secretary Clinton also cautioned those who had a complacent attitude towards what she said was an effort to destabilize American democracy.

"I worry still that too many people are like, 'Oh, it can't be that bad', or 'it can't go that far'. It's a failure of imagination, and I wrote after January 6 that one of the findings ... of the 9/11 Commission was a failure of imagination," she told Geist.

"There is no sense of duty or honor on the part of many of the people who worked for Trump. They don't want to cooperate, probably they're complicitous in some way and they don't want that to be proven, but I am very worried, and it didn't end with his defeat."

In the past, Clinton has been particularly critical of Republican politicians who had worked alongside her during her time as senator, such as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Clinton stated in 2019 that Graham had had a "brain snatch" and said it was a "fair question" when she was asked if he had hold his soul to the devil.

The former secretary of state also outlined a plan for Geist that she said would help Democrats maintain their congressional control into the 2022 midterm elections.

"It is a time for some careful thinking about what wins elections, and not just in deep blue districts where a Democrat ... is going to win," Clinton stated. "I understand why people want to argue for their priorities, that's what they believe they were elected to do, but at the end of the day, nothing is going to get done if you don't have a Democratic majority."

Clinton's interview comes just days after she released a short clip showing her reading an excerpt from the 2016 victory speech that she would've given had she beaten Trump.

During that reading, a visibly emotional Clinton stated that she hoped the speech would encapsulate "the kind of country that I want for the world."

"My fellow Americans, today you sent a message to the whole world: Our values endure. Our democracy stands strong," she read.

"Fundamentally, this election challenged us to decide what it means to be an American in the 21st century. And for reaching for a unity, decency, and what President Lincoln called 'the better angels of our nature.' We met that challenge."

Newsweek has reached out to Secretary Clinton's office for comment.