MSNBC contributor and staunch anti-Trump commentator Steve Schmidt warned Democratic candidates that the 2020 presidential election is at risk if the party's nominee is too far to the left, adding that "a sociopath will beat a socialist seven days a week and twice on Sunday."

"The Trump presidency is an emergency for the country,” Schmidt said Wednesday night during MSNBC's coverage of a Democratic presidential primary debate in Atlanta. "There is no higher issue than his removal from office. So that calls for a candidate who has the ability to assemble the broadest, widest possible political coalition."

"That includes some Republicans, independents, Democrats to win an election that will be the most consequential election I think this country has had since 1864, maybe the 1940 election," he continued.

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“I do think there is a danger when you look at some of the ideology that we’ve seen front and center in this field. In America, a sociopath will beat a socialist seven days a week and twice on Sunday," he added.

“Nobody should underestimate Donald Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE’s ability to frame an argument, to demagogue an opponent."

Schmidt, who left the GOP in 2018, citing Trump, ran the late Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainCrenshaw looms large as Democrats look to flip Texas House seat Analysis: Biden victory, Democratic sweep would bring biggest boost to economy The Memo: Trump's strengths complicate election picture MORE's (R-Ariz.) unsuccessful 2008 White House campaign against then-Sen. Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaDemocrats ramp up pressure on Lieberman to drop out of Georgia Senate race The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden on Trump: 'He'll leave' l GOP laywers brush off Trump's election remarks l Obama's endorsements Trump pledges to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, designate KKK a terrorist group in pitch to Black voters MORE (D-Ill.).

The analysis comes as a recent poll by The Hill and Harris X shows 48 percent of independent voters feel the Democratic Party is leaning too far to the left, compared to 68 percent of Republicans and 20 percent of Democrats who said the same thing.

Only 33 percent of independents said the Republican Party was leaning too far to the right.