Hillary Clinton unleashes on Trump in essay, accuses GOP of 'undermining American democracy

Hillary Clinton issued some severe attacks on President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in an essay published in The Atlantic on Sunday.

The essay comes from the paperback release of her 2017 book "What Happened", which features a new afterword and will be released Tuesday.

"Trump and his cronies do so many despicable things that it can be hard to keep track," Clinton wrote. "I think that may be the point -- to confound us, so it's harder to keep our eye on the ball. The ball, of course, is protecting American democracy. As citizens, that's our most important charge. And right now, our democracy is in crisis."

What did she say about Trump?

The essay doesn't include any surprising criticisms of the man who defeated her to win the 2016 presidential election, although the intensity of her attacks is elevated as midterms approach.

Clinton hit the main headlines, such as illegal immigrant family separations, the dispute about how many died in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria, Russian election interference, and the Mueller investigation.

"In the roughly 21 months since he took the oath of office, Trump has sunk far below the already-low bar he set for himself in his ugly campaign," Clinton wrote.

Clinton also pointed to what she called Trump's "breathtaking corruption," referring to alleged conflicts of interest within his cabinet and accusing him of "blatant violations of ethics rules.

"He's profiting off the business of the presidency," Clinton wrote, also saying that his refusal to release his tax returns has resulted in lobbyists, foreign governments and Republican organizations to put "money directly into his pocket."

Clinton also spent significant portions of the essay decrying Trump's treatment of the media.

What did she say about the GOP?

Clinton painted a picture of a Republican Party that is much more responsible than the Democratic Party for the things that are wrong with the country today.

"There is a tendency, when talking about these things, to wring our hands about 'both sides,'" Clinton wrote. "But the truth is that this is not a symmetrical problem.

"We should be clear about this: The increasing radicalism and irresponsibility of the Republican Party, including decades of demeaning government, demonizing Democrats, and debasing norms, is what gave us Donald Trump," she continued.

The overall purpose of the essay is to get Democratic voters to show up at the polls for midterms, as Clinton joins former President Barack Obama in an effort to help Democratic candidates take control of Congress.

"If they (Democratic candidates) win, they'll do great things for America," Clinton wrote. "And we could finally see some congressional oversight of the White House."

(H/T The New York Times)