Hillary Clinton calls out far-left reluctance to support her, warns GOP 'communist' attacks will be effective

The tensions between the far-left and more establishment wings of the Democratic Party are not going away, as evidenced by some sharp comments from former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton this week.

Clinton lamented during a Friday interview that the far-left doesn’t fall in line and support establishment Democrats as figures like Hasan Piker are demanding fealty, while also warning Republican attacks on hard-left socialists could be "very effective."

"Pivot" podcast host Kara Swisher noted to Clinton that the Democratic Party is having a tense internal struggle between its more establishment and progressive wings to the point that Republican opposition has learned to capitalize on it.

"I think there's no doubt that, you know, the Republican Party is the Trump cult and the Democratic Party is a bigger tent. You know, we do have a broad cross-section of people, what they believe, what their experiences are. I think that's an advantage," Clinton said. "But we also have to win general elections."

Clinton noted that many Democrats now will have to learn to pivot and support the progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign to defeat Republican Mike Rogers, while El-Sayed’s supporters will have to learn how to re-integrate defeated Haley Stevens and her supporters who they were "vilifying" online and in person.

2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called out the progressive wing of her party. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Clinton warned that the Democratic Party’s coalition cannot afford to keep being a one-way street in terms of supporting candidates.

"One thing that we haven't yet seen enough of is that when the progressives, the left — whatever we want to call, you know, candidates on that side of the Democratic Party — when they lose, they often don't support the candidate that has been nominated," she said. "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."

"If we're going to have a fair election, as there was in Michigan, and somebody comes out ahead, a little bit ahead, but needs to get a huge percentage of the voters that voted for Haley, they're going to have to be willing to, you know, get in — get into a conversation that brings those people over," she added, noting that the real struggle will be persuading independents and Stevens supporters.

ROGERS OPENS DOOR TO DEMOCRATIC VOTERS AFTER EL-SAYED’S PRIMARY VICTORY: ‘THERE IS STILL HOPE’

Hillary Clinton lamented that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party does not always fall in line for establishment candidates like her and Kamala Harris. (Getty Images)

Clinton went on to remark on the Republican messaging of accusing people of being a "communist" or "socialist," adding, "I assume that they have reason to believe that it's effective, or they wouldn't be beating the drum on 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," she said.

Even so, she said, such "scare tactics" did not stop the rise of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Clinton warned again that when moderates pivot to support progressive nominees, the progressive nominee needs to make sure that those moderates feel welcomed, adding, "Look, we’ve got to work together. We're not going to beat Republicans by being divided."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to supporters at an election-night rally at the Majestic Theatre on Aug. 4, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

James Carville, who helped mastermind Bill Clinton's 1992 election victory, told Fox News Digital this week that the 2028 primary would be a true test of the strength of the far-left in the party. Carville has warned that he could leave the party if it makes room for extreme figures like Piker, who campaigned with El-Sayed.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP