Rep. Michele Bachmann is still getting heat from her Republican colleagues over a letter she wrote claiming the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the U.S. government.
In the letter, Bachmann specifically named Huma Abedein -- a well-respected aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and she is not apologizing for it despite harsh criticism from top Republican lawmakers.
On Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner called Bachmann's accusations "dangerous," and Sen. Lindsay Graham said they are "ridiculous."
Sen. John McCain was the first to call out Bachmann, saying her claims were "sinister," "specious" and "degrading."
"Not one instance of an action, a decision or a public position that Huma has taken while at the State Department -- or as a member of then-Sen. Clinton's staff -- that would lend credence to the charge that she is promoting anti-American activities within our government," he said.
Bachmann, however, has not backed down. Instead, she issued a statement saying she "will not be silent as this administration appeases our enemies instead of telling the truth about the threats our country faces."
FOX 9 News spoke with Republican strategist Ben Golnik about Bachmann's comments and whether or not they're doing more harm for the Republican Party than good. Golnik said he doesn't think anyone could believe the accusations Bachmann has made, and he was quick to point out that she is not a spokeswoman for the Republican Party.
On Thursday, former campaign chief for Bachmann, Ed Rollins, penned an op-ed for FOXNews.com that read, "The Republican Party is going to become irrelevant if we become the party of intolerance and hate."
Some have compared Bachmann's claims with the McCarthyism of the 1950s, when Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy said communist spies were inside the State Department.
Yet, instead of backing down, Bachmann doubled down on Thursday by accusing Rep. Keith Ellison of being a sympathizer of the Muslim Brotherhood. Ellison denied having any form of ties to the Islamic group.
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