California Representative Maxine Waters went after some of President Trump's cabinet members and close associates as 'a bunch of scumbags' in a harangue on MSNBC.

Waters, who recently raised the prospect of President Trump's impeachment, delivered the insult after running through a list of Trump associates who might have an interest in lifting Russia sanctions or dealing with oil and gas.

'I just think the American people had better understand what's going on. This is a bunch of scumbags. That's what they are. Who are all organized around making money," Waters said.

Host Chris Hayes raised his eyebrows at the mention, telling his guest, 'Those are very strong words, congresswoman.'

'Who do you mean by that when you call them scumbags,' he asked.

California Representative Maxine Waters said of Trump officials with oil and gas or Russia ties, 'This is a bunch of scumbags'

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'All of these people who are organized with these oil and gas interests that's in the administration, and friends of the president of the United States, this back-channeling that you see.

'These are a bunch of scumbags, that's what they are,' she said, repeating the charge.

Hayes then asked Waters she meant to include Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who she had mentioned earlier and who is the former head of ExxonMobile, and has negotiated deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

'I tell you this. Tillerson is there to get these sanctions lifted,' Waters responded. I beleive it, just watch him,' she said.

'He was there because he negotiated the deal for Exxon with Putin,' she said.

Hayes mostly sat back during the extended rant, and had trouble getting in a question at times.

Earlier in the interview, Waters responded to a clip by White House chief of staff Reince Priebus about reports ongoing investigations of Trump campaign contacts with Russia.

'Those are very strong words, congresswoman'

Waters previously said Trump was 'leading himself' toward impeachment

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson takes his seat for a meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (not in picture) on the sidelines of a gathering of Foreign Ministers of the G20 leading and developing economies at the World Conference Center in Bonn

Waters brought up Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn left his post over his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.

Carter Page, Global Energy Capital LLC Managing Partner and a former foreign policy adviser to U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump, makes a presentation titled " Departing from Hypocrisy: Potential Strategies in the Era of Global Economic Stagnation, Security Threats and Fake News" during his visit to Moscow in December

'Mike Priebus has been trying to clean up for Donald Trump for far too long,' she said, using the wrong first name.

Earlier in the interview, Waters used a loaded term to refer to the associates, whom she referred to as a 'clan.'

'This clan - this Kremlin clan is all about getting the oil and gas money and doing the drilling, and they need this president. They need this president to get these sanctions lifted,' she said.

She referenced retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who left his post as Trump's security advisor over his Russia ties, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who represented a pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine, and Carter Page, a former named foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign who the White House says Trump never met. She also brought up Tillerson, mentioning the drilling contact he helped negotiate. She also brought up Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, who partnered with a Russian oligarch on a project involving the Bank of Cyprus.

Earlier this month, Waters said Trump was 'leading himself' toward impeachment. She was being asked about her tweet that her 'greatest desire was to lead @realDonaldTrump right into impeachment.'

Then, speaking at a press conference, Waters said Trump 'is wrapping his arms around Putin, while Putin is continuing to advance into Korea.'

She later clarified on social media that she had meant to say Crimea.

Waters response to a single question ran to nearly 600 words.

'They need this president to get these sanctions lifted,' she said about halfway through. 'Don’t forget, the second executive order that was signed by the president, that was 1504, which basically would undo the work we have done with Dodd-Frank and making these oil companies disclose the money that they were using to bribe these countries within Africa and other places,' she continued.

'So 1504 was very important because Exxon and others now will not have to disclose all of the bribes they’re doing. But these people are all organized around oil and gas. Why are they all in this administration? Why are they all so close to them?'