A former advisor to Bill Clinton erupted Monday night after a GOP former governor claimed President Donald Trump lowered crime in Washington, D.C.

Paul Begala, who was the chief strategist for the Clinton-Gore campaign in 1992, discussed Trump's activation of the National Guard to address D.C. crime on CNN's "Erin Burnett Out Front." His comments come at a time when Trump has threatened to deploy additional forces to Democrat-governed cities like Chicago.

During the debate, Tim Pawlenty, a former Republican governor of Minnesota, claimed that deploying the troops was the "fulfillment of a campaign promise," even though Pawlenty admitted that he wasn't sure if the strategy was totally legal.

Pawlenty also claimed that Trump is pro-law enforcement because he held political rallies supporting the cause during his last campaign.

His comments did not sit well with Begala.

"He released the animals who beat out D.C. cops," Begala said. "He released those animals who tased Michael Fanone until his heart stopped! You can't get away with that."

The Trump administration has faced significant criticism for its deployment of troops to D.C. Experts have said the National Guard is not trained to handle civilian policing issues. Others have noted the political disparity between the cities where Trump is threatening to send troops.

"These animals beat him and tased him until his heart stopped, and Trump let them out of jail!" Begala continued.

Watch the entire clip below or by clicking here.