Russian president Vladimir Putin feared Hillary Clinton the most, according to Nancy Pelosi.
The former US House speaker claimed Mr Putin interfered in Ms Clinton’s 2016 election campaign because she supported American democracy.
Ms Pelosi made the comments at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs on Monday while speaking about “global politics, national security, and the backsliding of democracy”.
“It was her clarity and position to [Mr Putin] that made him turn around and ensure in an illegal way come out against her in her campaign,” Ms Pelosi said.
“Interference in our democracy by Vladimir Putin, because Hillary Clinton was the person he feared most in terms of his lack of democracy in Russia.”
Ms Clinton has praised Ms Pelosi before.
The former presidential candidate and secretary of state had told CNN last year that Ms Pelosi was the “gutsiest” woman in American politics and had fought for her values and ideals.
“I think Nancy Pelosi is the gutsiest woman in politics right now,” she said.
Ms Clinton also compared her to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“She has shown, through all kinds of turmoil and challenge, what it means to – somewhat like the Queen to be drawing an analogy here – get up every day, put on those high heels she wears, suit up to fight for the values and ideals that she strongly believes in,” she said.
Ms Clinton recently joined Columbia University as a professor and presidential fellow in global affairs.
She had served in the Barack Obama administration before her bid against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential elections that had sparked an investigation into Russia’s interference in the elections.
Ms Clinton lost to Mr Trump despite maintaining a clear lead in the polls less than two weeks before Election Day.
Following the presidential election and subsequent allegations of meddling, US intelligence agencies concluded Russian firms targeted voter registration systems in at least 21 states and stole voters’ personal information to generate negative publicity for Democratic officials as well as Ms Clinton.
Mr Trump, who has praised Mr Putin, raised doubts over the claims that the Russian president interfered in the election process. He told Reuters in 2018 that he had “great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today”.
