Hillary Clinton warns GOP's ‘communist’ attacks on progressive Dems could prove ‘very effective’

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, August 7, warned Democrats that Republican attacks portraying progressive candidates as “communist” or “socialist” could prove effective in the 2026 midterm elections. 

Speaking on the episode of the 'Pivot' podcast after Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, Clinton said Democrats face the challenge of bringing moderate voters and independents into the party’s coalition. She also said progressive and establishment Democrats will need to support one another after contentious primary contests.

Hillary Clinton says people on the left should be prepared to answer GOP's attacks

Clinton discussed El-Sayed’s primary victory over Rep Haley Stevens, saying Democrats will need to win over Stevens’ supporters and independent voters in the general election. El-Sayed, a progressive candidate and former public health official, narrowly defeated Stevens, a more centrist Democrat.

“The real fight will be how do we make sure that people who voted for Haley feel comfortable voting for Abdul El-Sayed, and how do we get Independents to feel comfortable?” Clinton said. “It's going to be a very effective attack, and people on the left have to be prepared to answer that.” 

The 78-year-old claimed Republicans are already using the “communist” label deliberately. “That’s the attack that Trump is leading with and I assume they've tested it and I assume that they have reason to believe that it's effective or they wouldn't be beating the drum on it,” she said.

Clinton said the strategy extends beyond Trump, pointing to Vice President JD Vance and other Republicans who have used similar descriptions of progressive candidates. Trump responded to El-Sayed’s primary victory on Truth Social by calling him a “communist” and criticizing his political positions. 

El-Sayed will face Republican Rep Mike Rogers in the November general election. His victory over Stevens came despite substantial spending by the pro-Israel group AIPAC on behalf of his opponent.

Hillary Clinton urges Democrats to unite after divisive primaries

Clinton also said Democrats must address divisions between progressive and moderate factions if they hope to compete successfully in November. She cited New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s victory as an example of a progressive candidate overcoming Republican attacks.

“They are trying to bring back scare tactics about our candidates, and it didn't work in New York. Mamdani was elected, and there was a lot of money spent against him,” Clinton said.

The former first lady also criticized a pattern in which progressive voters have sometimes been reluctant to support Democratic nominees after losing primary contests. “I mean, the kind of things that were said about Haley (Stevens), her supporters, there were a lot of really nasty personal attacks,” she expressed.

Clinton pointed to her own 2016 presidential campaign and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign as examples of Democratic divisions after contentious nominations: “You know, there was a lot of reluctance to support Kamala Harris. There was a lot of reluctance to support me when I got the nomination. So it can’t be a one-way street.”