Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the Democratic Party's current "experiment" amid the rise of democratic socialist candidates "healthy," drawing swift conservative backlash from critics who accused her of embracing the party's socialist wing.
"The Democratic Party right now is, I think, going through a kind of experiment, like who can actually respond particularly to young people's very real concerns about where they are at this point in their lives and what kind of future do they have for themselves? I think that is healthy," said Clinton.
Clinton, a matriarch of the Democratic Party, defeated democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential primary. Her remarks come as socialist candidates increasingly challenge establishment-backed Democrats in races across the country.
Clinton spoke Monday in conversation with the Hamptons Institute, weighing in on the Democratic Party's ideological direction as it searches for ways to connect with younger voters while democratic socialist candidates have increasingly notched wins during the primary season.
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The moderator asked Clinton where she sees the future of the Democratic Party as it undergoes a "major upheaval between center-left and democratic socialists" during their conversation on diplomacy, national security and global leadership.
Conservative critics seized on Clintons' remarks, accusing her of embracing the Democratic Party's socialist wing and invoking her failed 2016 presidential campaign.
"INSANE Hillary Clinton says the Democrat Party is 'going through an experiment' to see if far-Left, socialist candidates - who want to abolish prisons and borders - can win over young voters," the Republican National Committee posted on X.
"Run again in 2028. Do it," social media influencer Jack Posobiec posted.
"Easy for her to say when she has her own security team," said Heritage Foundation media fellow Tim Young.
"Hillary Clinton believes Democrats are "going through an experiment" to see if a new crop of further-left candidates can actually win young voters. The problem? Dems who want to abolish prisons and borders. She's watching her own party test how far left it can push before the rest of the country walks away. It's basically a live experiment with the electorate at this point," X user Mario Nawfal posted.
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"The Democrats only want to win, no matter the cost! If their actions of going far, far left send the country into ruins, they don't care! They know that socialism has never worked, nor ever will work. Hillary may be a lot of things (a lot of which I can't say on here), but she will pull out all stops to try and win. It doesn't always work, like in 2016, but she will try anything to win…..no matter the consequences," said one user.
"Say WHAT?! Hillary Clinton says the Democrat Party is 'going through a kind of experiment' by embracing socialist candidates to see if it will bring in younger voters - say it's 'healthy' This is the definition of insanity," the Conservative Brief posted.
During her remarks, Clinton also turned the socialism charge back on President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of practicing what she called "socialism for the rich."
"I get very amused when I hear Trump and his people talking about socialism and communism. The way he's behaving is socialism for the rich. It is the most ridiculous administration when it comes to doing everything possible to avoid risks and loss for people who are already doing them and to use the power of the government to benefit himself and his cronies and his allies," said Clinton.
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Trump has increasingly used the rise of democratic socialists as a midterm attack line, labeling recent left-wing Democratic winners "hardcore, godless communists."He separately warned in June that New York City Mayor and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's rent-freeze policy would cause New York apartment buildings to deteriorate into "ghettos and slums."
"President Trump is creating good-paying jobs, securing trillions of dollars in investments, and positioning our country to dominate the remainder of the 21st century," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital.
"Meanwhile, Crooked Hillary Clinton is still whining about her spectacular 2016 election defeat. It's time for Hillary to move on," Ingle added.
