Hillary Clinton said Friday the Russians were “grooming” a Democrat running in the presidential primary to run as a third-party candidate and champion Moscow’s interests on the campaign trail.

The former first lady’s comment appeared to be aimed at Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who has been accused of being cozy with Russia in the past, Fox News reported.

“I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. She’s the favorite of the Russians,” Clinton said on a podcast with former Obama adviser David Plouffe.

Clinton did not mention Gabbard specifically by name, though Plouffe ended the podcast by noting Clinton’s “belief that Tulsi Gabbard is going to be a third-party candidate propped up by Trump and the Russians.”

Gabbard — a Hawaii Army National Guard major who served in Iraq — has denied similar charges of Russian sympathy in the past and fired back at her accusers during Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Ohio.

“Just two days ago, The New York Times put out an article saying that I’m a Russian asset and an Assad apologist and all these different smears,” Gabbard said.

“This morning, a CNN commentator said on national television that I’m an asset of Russia — completely despicable.”

A Drudge Report poll of the site’s readers showed that 39% who responded thought Gabbard won the debate, the most of any of the candidates.

Gabbard has also had to defend her 2017 meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on the campaign trail.

Gabbard, in an August interview with CNN, ruled out a third-party bid.

Clinton also accused Jill Stein, who ran against her and Donald Trump in 2016, of being a Russian asset.

“That’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she’s also a Russian asset,” she said, meaning Gabbard could be edged out with Stein in the race.

Stein, who won nearly 1.5 million votes in the 2016 election, was part of Russia’s massive effort to interfere in the US election, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report that asserted that Russian social media actors interfered in the election included messages supporting Stein.