The Republican Party is in the midst of “regression,” as women candidates weigh uncertain political futures under a political banner led by Donald Trump, former Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock said at the National Press Foundation’s Women in Politics Journalism Fellowship.

Comstock, who served two terms in Congress and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, called out Trump as a “horrible misogynist” who has dramatically changed the party’s culture.

“We really haven’t come a long way, maybe because when I worked in the ’90s in Congress and was a chief (committee) counsel, Republicans were always saying ‘character counts,’” Comstock said, referring to her work on the impeachment of Bill Clinton related to his inappropriate sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Comstock said the party now bears little resemblance to the politics of President Ronald Reagan, Sen. John McCain and President George H.W. Bush. It was Bush who denounced David Duke for espousing racist beliefs during his Republican campaign for Louisiana governor.

“I haven’t changed, these guys have changed. I mean to them, a ‘RINO’ is someone who doesn’t worship the Orange Cheeto God,” Comstock said. “To me, (former Rep.) Liz Cheney and I –we’re much more Republicans than these guys are.”

When prospective women candidates now come seeking political advice on congressional runs, Comstock counsels them to look elsewhere.

“I say: ‘No, no, no, no. Stay away from this cesspool right now. You do not want to go there while Donald Trump’s on the ticket this year because you don’t want to have to deal with all that crap. Run for the statehouse right now. There’s so much you got to fix there,’” Comstock says.

Access the full transcript here.

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