Hillary Clinton Warns Republicans’ ‘Communist, Socialist’ Attacks on Democrats Will Be Effective in 2026

Hillary Clinton isn’t sugarcoating the fight ahead for her party.

Speaking on Friday, August 7, on Kara Swisher‘s podcast, Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, the two-time presidential nominee said Republicans have found a message that works against Democrats, and Democrats need to be ready for it.

“And you can see that it’s not just about Michigan, but the Republican messaging is communist, socialist. It’s going to be a very effective attack,” Clinton, 79, said.

Just days earlier, progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed had edged out Rep. Haley Stevens in a hard-fought Democratic primary, as reported by Fox News on August 5.

The former secretary of state said uniting the party behind El-Sayed ahead of his general election matchup against Republican Mike Rogers will take real effort from both sides.

“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,” she added.

Clinton also pushed back on the idea that the party’s establishment and progressive wings are equally to blame for the division, pointing instead to a pattern she says needs to change.

“There was a lot of reluctance to support Kamala Harris. There was a lot of reluctance to support me when I got the nomination,” she said. “So, it can’t be a one-way street.”

Asked whether the “communist” label still carries weight heading into 2026, the former first lady pointed to President Donald Trump‘s own strategy.

“All I know is that is the attack Trump is leading with,” she said. “I assume they have reason to believe it’s effective or they wouldn’t be beating the drum on it.”

“We’ve got to work together,” she said, concluding the conversation. “We’re not going to beat Republicans by being divided.”