Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Friday that Republicans’ strategy of labeling progressive Democratic candidates as “communists” and “socialists” because they are nominating communists and socialists could prove politically effective in the 2026 midterm elections.
Speaking on the “Pivot” podcast with tech journalist Kara Swisher, Clinton discussed the recent Michigan Democratic Senate primary, in which leftwing, Israel-obsessed Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens. El-Sayed, who was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November as Democrats seek to regain control of the Senate, explained The New York Post.
💥NEW: Hillary Clinton: "It's not just about Michigan — but the Republican messaging is: 'communist, socialist.' It's gonna be a VERY effective attack." pic.twitter.com/PS6ObKoZli
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) August 7, 2026
“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 not just about Michigan, but the Republican messaging is ‘communist, socialist.’ It’s going to be a very effective attack. People on the left have to be prepared to answer that and be effective in answering that.”
When Swisher questioned whether the “communist” label still resonates with voters in 2026, Clinton said Republicans appear convinced that it does.
“All I know is that is the attack [President] Trump is leading with and I assume they’ve tested that and I assume they have reason to believe it’s effective or they wouldn’t be beating the drum on it,” she said.
Clinton noted that Vice President JD Vance and other Republicans have used similar language, characterizing it as an attempt to revive “scare tactics.” She also pointed out that such messaging did not stop New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from winning election.
El-Sayed campaigned on proposals including Medicare for All, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ending U.S. aid to Israel, and raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires. Clinton suggested Democratic nominees must work to win over supporters of defeated primary opponents, particularly in closely divided states such as Michigan.
“It will require a lot of outreach and a lot of willingness on the part of the winning candidate and his supporters to know that they need the people that they were vilifying,” Clinton said.
She added that some progressives have been reluctant to support Democratic nominees in previous election cycles, including herself and former Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing that party unity must be reciprocal.
“…can’t be a one-way street,” Clinton said.
President Donald Trump responded to El-Sayed’s primary victory on social media, calling him a “Communist loser” and portraying the result as politically advantageous for Republicans.
Michigan is expected to be one of the most closely contested Senate races in the country, with both parties viewing the seat as critical to determining control of the chamber.
Clinton’s remarks highlighted Democratic concerns about uniting the party’s leftwing and moderate factions while preparing for Republican attacks in the general election. El-Sayed has said that he wants to remove Chuck Schumer as Senate leader and was opposed by most elected Democratic officials because of his antisemitism.
Mike Rogers has already begun courting him to the Republican side.
Rogers making a concerted play for Democrats: pic.twitter.com/4kLrvHJKvf
— Adam Wren (@adamwren) August 7, 2026
He’s also launched a series of attack ads pointing out how radical the Democratic nominee really is:
A good ad.
But Rogers will need to be a highly effective campaigner to win this race.
Hoping he has it in him. pic.twitter.com/FGfC9glTuA
— The Reckoning 💥 (@sethjlevy) August 5, 2026
The real question for Hillary is this: is it wrong to call Democrats communists and socialist radicals when that’s what they are?
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