Former Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., said "we might be better off as a republic" if Democrats take over the House in 2018.

"I personally as a Republican in the past few weeks wondered is the republic safer if Democrats take over the House in 2018," Jolly said Monday night to MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell. "I raise that issue with the leading Republican in D.C. last week and the remarkable thing is he was thinking exactly the same thing. This is a president that needs a greater check on his power than Republicans in Congress have offered."

O'Donnell pressed further and asked Jolly to clarify, saying he hadn't heard any Republican say something of that nature before.

"We do know that we have a president who very well might put the nation at risk and this Republican Congress has done nothing to check his power," Jolly said in response. "Democrats could. And we might be better off as a republic if they take the House in 2018."

Jolly said the Republican Party never regained its footing following the Tea Party movement that emerged in 2010, saying the movement manifested itself into "the likes of Steve Bannon and Donald Trump." He said the difference now though is President Trump is "unstable" and on issues of national security, is "risky."

Democrats need to pick up a total of 24 seats in the 2018 election to regain a majority in the House. There are currently 240 Republicans and 194 Democrats in the House.