Fox News contributor Donna Brazile came out swinging Tuesday, hitting back at what she criticized as attempts by Republicans to sow division ahead of the 2020 election.
The former DNC interim chair left viewers stunned Tuesday when she repeatedly told Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to “go to hell” after the GOP party chief suggested the Dems’ primary process is “rigged” against Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“First of all, I want to talk to my Republicans. First of all, stay the hell out of our race,” Brazile began, saying she was “sick and tired” of Republicans sticking their noses where it doesn’t belong. “Stay the hell out of our race.”
During the interview with Fox News hosts Ed Henry and Sandra Smith, the political pundit criticized the GOP’s presidential nomination process, noting that the party has canceled primaries across multiple states to aid President Donald Trump‘s re-election bid. She further accused McDaniel of peddling “Russian talking points.”
“For people to use Russian talking points to sow division among Americans, that is stupid. So Ronna, go to hell,” Brazile quipped, drawing an audible reaction from the show hosts. “No, go to hell. I’m tired of it, Ed.”
Brazile also slammed the notion that Dems were somehow “trying to prevent anyone from becoming the nominee.
“If you have the delegates and win, you will win,” she added. “This notion that somehow or another Democrats are out there trying to put hurdles or roadblocks before one candidate, that’s stupid. I know what’s going on.”
Brazile, 60, was responding to earlier remarks from chairwoman McDaniel, who told the conservative network she didn’t anticipate “anyone getting out soon” from the Democratic primary, arguing that the scenario of a brokered convention “will be rigged against Bernie if those super delegates have their way on that second vote.”
Brazile hit back with a fierce defense of the Dems’ nomination process.
“They’re scared of Democrats coming together to defeat Donald Trump,” she said. “They need to be focusing on what we’re focusing on — the Democratic party — and that is preventing foreign interference in our elections. Stop using Russian talking points, Madam Chairwoman. Period.
She concluded the interview with: “Stop lying about the Democratic process. That’s all I’m asking.”
Addressing the back and forth Wednesday, McDaniel said Brazile was “out of line” for what she said.
“It’s never fun to have your teenager come home from school and say ‘Hey mom, you’re trending social media because some woman said you should ‘go to heck,'” she told Fox News.
The RNC chair also issued a feisty response to Brazile’s barb on Twitter, writing: “It’s ok, @donnabrazile. I’d be having a bad day too if my party was still hopelessly divided. Talk of a brokered convention and the DNC trying to stop Bernie obviously hit a little close to home.”
Watch more in the clip below.
