Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has emerged from the woods to defend White House reporter April Ryan in her speech at the Professional Business Women of California conference on Tuesday.

"Just look at all that's happened in the last few days to women who were simply doing their jobs," Clinton said. "April Ryan, a respected journalist with unrivaled integrity, was doing her job just this afternoon, and she was patronized and cut off as she tried to ask a question."

White House press secretary Sean Spicer got into a heated argument about the investigation into Russian interference with Ryan on Tuesday's press briefing. During the argument, Spicer told Ryan to stop shaking her head. Many reporters and activists shared Clinton's outrage at Spicer's comments.

Clinton also came to the defense of California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D., Cal.) in her speech.

"One of your own California congresswomen, Maxine Waters, was taunted with a racist joke about her hair," Clinton said. "Too many women, especially women of color, have had a lifetime of practice taking precisely these kinds of indignities in stride."

Clinton was referring to the joke Fox News anchor Bill O'Reily made about Waters' hair looking like "James Brown wig" on Tuesday's "Fox and Friends."