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The Republican Party called on Hillary Clinton to apologize Thursday after she compared GOP candidates to terrorists during an Ohio campaign stop.

Speaking in Cleveland, the Democratic presidential front-runner hammered Republican presidential candidates for their views on abortion and other women's issues.

"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. She specifically cited candidates Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

The Republican National Committee seized on the remark.

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

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    Clinton covered a range of topics at the Ohio event, talking about challenges minorities face when voting, the "black lives matter" movement and her husband's presidency.

    But she reserved some of her toughest criticism for Republicans looking to defund Planned Parenthood or put strict restrictions on abortion.

    She specifically cited Rubio, saying he "brags about wanting to deny victims of rape and incest access to health care and abortion," and Bush's opposition to funding for Planned Parenthood.

    Clinton also turned her attention to home state Gov. Kasich, telling supporters he had banned state funding for some rape crisis centers because they sometimes referred women to other health facilities that provide abortion services.

    "They espouse out of date and out of touch policies," Clinton said.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

    The anti-Clinton America Rising PAC pointed to Clinton's slipping poll numbers in condemning the comments.

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

    A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Clinton still leading the Democratic presidential field but registering her worst favorability rating yet -- with only 39 percent holding a favorable view of her, compared with 51 percent who don't.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.