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.SHOCKING PERCENTAGE OF DEMOCRATS IDENTIFY AS 'DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS' ACCORDING TO NEW POLL: 'TOXIC POLICIES'Hillary Rodham Clinton attends a conversation with David Remnick at 92NY on June 15, 2026 in New York City.(Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)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 a...