Republicans demand apology after Hillary Clinton compares them to 'terrorist groups'

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the Democratic National Committee Summer Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Aug. 28, 2015.Reuters

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is demanding an apology from Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton after she compared her Republican contenders' views on women's health issues to those of terrorist groups.

Clinton made her controversial remarks during a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Democratic presidential aspirant blasted Republicans for their supposedly "extreme views" on women's health and abortion.

"Now, extreme views about women, we expect that from some of the terrorist groups. We expect that from people who don't want to live in the modern world. But it's a little hard to take coming from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States," Clinton said.

RNC Press Secretary Allison Moore blasted Clinton for the kind of presidential campaign she is staging.

"For Hillary Clinton to equate her political opponents to terrorists is a new low for her flailing campaign. She should apologise immediately for her inflammatory rhetoric," Moore said in a statement.

America Rising PAC spokeswoman Amelia Chassé also condemned Clinton's remarks.

"It's the clearest sign yet that Sec. Clinton will say or do anything to win," Chassé said.

In the same event, Clinton also criticised GOP presidential candidate and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for supposedly bragging "about wanting to deny victims of rape and incest access to health care and abortion."

Clinton also lashed out at another Republican presidential hopeful, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, for his opposition to funding for Planned Parenthood, which recently got embroiled in a controversy following the release of videos showing how the group engages in the sale of foetal parts of aborted babies.

"They espouse out of date and out of touch policies. They are dead wrong for 21st century America. We're going forward. We're not going back," Clinton said.

Bush responded on his Twitter account by saying, "Clinton compares pro-life Americans to terrorists, but defends despicable PP treatment of unborn? Her priorities are totally wrong."