Latest news with #election2028
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Gavin Newsom makes boldest move yet toward 2028 presidential run
Gavin Newsom continues to spark rumors he's running for president in 2028 as he heads to South Carolina for a 'meet and greet' this weekend. Newsom, 57, was among the Democrats' most articulate surrogates last year, even as he brushed off speculation he was seeking the White House and made the case to reelect President Biden. Now, the Democrat governor who has spent the past month feuding with the Trump administration over anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles , has made his clearest move yet that he's testing a 2028 run. The South Carolina Democratic Party has invited Newsom for a two-day visit this weekend. He will meet with victims and communities who have suffered natural disasters and 'speak to the urgent need for federal support and investment' from Washington. In 2024, the southern state was moved to second in the nation behind only New Hampshire after its voters delivered the nomination in 2020 to Joe Biden. Newsom was also active in the state during the 2024 race as a surrogate for Biden's failed, eventually aborted re-election campaign. 'For two days, Governor Newsom will listen to local concerns, share proven solutions on jobs, health care, and rural infrastructure, and spotlight South Carolinians who are already driving progress in their hometowns,' the state party said in a press release. Newsom is considered one of the contenders for the Democrat nomination in 2028, alongside 2024 loser Kamala Harris and 2020 reject Pete Buttigieg. Trump himself suggested Newsom should run, despite having clashed with a number of Trump policies. 'I'd love him to run for president on the other side,' Trump said of Newsom in May. He brought up Newsom in a backhanded way, once again turning his name into an insult by calling him 'Gavin New-scum' while seated alongside new Canadian PM Mark Carney, at an event where Trump softened his push to make Canada the 51st state by saying it 'takes two to tango.' Trump started tearing into a high-speed rail project that California voters approved back in 2008, with costs ballooning to an estimated $100 billion . As Trump described it in the Oval Office, it is a 'little train going from San Francisco to Los Angeles that's being run by Gavin New-scum, the governor of California.' 'He has got that train is the worst cost overrun I've ever seen. It's like totally out of control,' Trump said. He complained that it's 'hundreds of billions of dollars for this stupid project that should have never been built.' Newsom was the one Democratic candidate Trump feared when running against Biden - and later Harris - in the 2024 race, according to Alex Isenstadt's book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power . The ex-president worried that Biden could drop out of the race cuing a Democratic primary. Instead Biden dropped out of the race so late that the party quickly got behind Harris. 'One person he had been worried about was California Governor Gavin Newsom. Always fixated on visuals, Trump thought the handsome, hair-gelled governor was "slick" and the future of the Democratic Party,' Isenstadt wrote. Trump was also annoyed that Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity would keep having Newsom on his primetime show, Isenstadt said. But in November of 2023, Newsom debated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was running against Trump in the Republican primary. Trump, reportedly, wasn't impressed. He thought Newsom had 'bombed,' Isenstadt wrote. 'Ron's an idiot, he doesn't have what it takes. But I thought Newsom would be better,' Trump said at the time, according to Isenstadt's account.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Who's got next?' Democrats already lining up for 2028 presidential race in early voting states
SENECA, S.C. (AP) — The first presidential primary votes won't be cast for another two and a half years. And yet, over the span of 10 days in July, three Democratic presidential prospects are scheduled to campaign in South Carolina. Nearly a half dozen others have made recent pilgrimages to South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa — states that traditionally host the nation's opening presidential nomination contests. Still other ambitious Democrats are having private conversations with officials on the ground there. The voters in these states are used to seeing presidential contenders months or even years before most of the country, but the political jockeying in 2025 for the 2028 presidential contest appears to be playing out earlier, with more frequency and with less pretense than ever before. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was referred to as a presidential candidate at one stop in his two-day South Carolina tour last week. Voters shouted '2028!' after he insisted he was there simply to strengthen the party ahead of the 2026 midterms. South Carolina has virtually no competitive midterm contests. Term-limited Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who acknowledges he's considering a 2028 bid, will spend two days touring South Carolina this week. He will focus on the state's Black community while drawing an implicit contrast with Newsom on cultural issues, according to excerpts of his planned remarks obtained by The Associated Press. California Congressman Ro Khanna, a progressive aligned with the Bernie Sanders ' wing of the Democratic Party, will target union members and Black voters when he's in the state a few days later with the son of a civil rights leader. And former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is having private conversations with key South Carolina Democrats, including presidential primary kingmaker Rep. Jim Clyburn, in which Emanuel indicated strong interest in a presidential run. That's according to Clyburn himself, who said he's also had direct contact with Beshear and Khanna after appearing alongside Newsom last week and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in May. 'That's what candidates have to do: position themselves and be ready when lightning strikes,' Clyburn said. Democrats look to turn the page from 2024 The unusually early jockeying is playing out as the Democratic Party struggles to repair its brand, rebuild its message and fill a leadership vacuum after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress in 2024. Democrats are decidedly more optimistic about 2028. Republicans will not have the advantage of incumbency in the next presidential contest; the Constitution bars President Donald Trump from seeking a third term. And the race for the Democratic nomination appears to be wide open, even as 2024 nominee Kamala Harris and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have left open the possibility of running again. With no clear front-runner, some Democratic operatives believe upwards of 30 high-profile Democrats could ultimately enter the 2028 primary — more than the party's overpacked 2020 field. And as Democrats struggle to stop Donald Trump's power grabs in Washington, some report a real sense of urgency to get the 2028 process started. Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a rising Democratic star, told the AP earlier this year that presidential prospects 'need to be more visible earlier' as party officials look to take cues from a new generation of leaders. 'What freaks most Democrats out is not really understanding who's up next. Like, who's got next?' she said. 'And I think that that is really what people want most; they want their presidential nominee now.' A Kentucky Democrat steps into the conversation Beshear, Kentucky's 47-year-old two-term governor, is scheduled to make his first visit to South Carolina on political grounds on Wednesday and Thursday. He will promote his appeal among red-state moderates and Black voters in a Thursday speech hosted by the Georgetown County Democrats in a region that voted three times for Trump and has a large Black population. 'Democrats have a huge opportunity to seize the middle and win back the voters who have been increasingly skeptical of the Democratic brand. But it's going to take focus and discipline," Beshear is expected to say, according to speech excerpts obtained by the AP. There are no direct jabs at Newsom in the excerpts, but Beshear is expected to continue drawing contrasts with the California governor, who earlier this year suggested his party went too far in embracing 'woke' priorities. In his prepared remarks, Beshear doesn't shy away from such progressive cultural issues. He will note he made Juneteenth an executive branch holiday for the first time in Kentucky, signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination against state workers for how they wear their hair and ordered the removal of a statue of Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War. 'The current federal administration wants to make diversity a dirty word,' Beshear plans to say. 'They want people to believe that equity means everyone isn't worthy of opportunities.' Who else is stepping up? Already this year, Walz of Minnesota and Moore of Maryland have addressed South Carolina Democrats. Biden Cabinet member Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 presidential candidate, hosted a town hall in Iowa in May. The month before, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker headlined a Democratic fundraiser in New Hampshire. Others are moving more cautiously. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has avoided any early state travel this year, focusing instead on his 2026 reelection. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also focused largely on her day job. Both would be top-tier presidential candidates should they decide to run. Khanna has been working to build his national profile since before the last election with frequent trips to New Hampshire, among other early voting states. The California congressman is scheduled to host two town-hall style meetings in South Carolina this weekend with Illinois Rep. Jonathan Jackson, the son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Khanna casts his lower profile — at least compared to potential competitors like Newsom and Shapiro — as an asset when asked about his party's early 2028 field. 'I think it's very different than in the past when you've had clear defined leaders of the party. I think that's healthy. There is no status quo person," Khanna said. 'My guess is the last thing the party is going to want is more of the same." Newsom's South Carolina dance Newsom spent much of last year denying interest in a presidential run. But with his final term as governor set to expire at the end of next year, his 2028 ambitions are starting to emerge more publicly. During his recent South Carolina tour, Newsom only smiled when voters shouted '2028!' after he referenced his focus on the 2026 midterms. Clyburn said openly what the California governor would not. Appearing with Newsom, Clyburn encouraged local Democrats to be energized by the visits of 'presidential candidates' coming early and often to their state. Newsom looked around, seemingly seeking the object of Clyburn's remark, as the crowd laughed. In an interview afterward, Clyburn said he doesn't have an early favorite in the 2028 Democratic nomination contest. New Hampshire remains a player Pritzker headlined a key state fundraiser in New Hampshire in May. And state Democratic leaders are privately encouraging other 2028 prospects to visit the state. Unlike South Carolina, New Hampshire features two competitive House races and a top-tier Senate election next year. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, campaigned Friday in the state with Rep. Chris Pappas, who is expected to represent Democrats on the Senate ballot next fall. In a brief interview, she insisted her only purpose was backing Pappas' campaign. 'I am here to help my friend,' she said. 'I know a lot of people here and I want to put it to use in a good way." What do the voters say? It may be early, but some Democratic voters and local officials say they're ready to get the cycle started. Jody Gaulin, the Democratic chair of a deep-red South Carolina county, is hoping the energy that comes along with potential candidates could boost her party's ranks. 'This is exactly what we've been waiting for,' Gaulin said. It's much the same in New Hampshire. Democrat Jane Lescynski, who works at the manufacturing facility Klobuchar toured Friday, had a quick answer when asked her thoughts about the 2028 presidential election. 'I can't wait,' she said. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Ramer reported from Gilsum, New Hampshire.
Associated Press
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
‘Who's got next?' Democrats already lining up for 2028 presidential race in early voting states
SENECA, S.C. (AP) — The first presidential primary votes won't be cast for another two and a half years. And yet, over the span of 10 days in July, three Democratic presidential prospects are scheduled to campaign in South Carolina. Nearly a half dozen others have made recent pilgrimages to South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa — states that traditionally host the nation's opening presidential nomination contests. Still other ambitious Democrats are having private conversations with officials on the ground there. The voters in these states are used to seeing presidential contenders months or even years before most of the country, but the political jockeying in 2025 for the 2028 presidential contest appears to be playing out earlier, with more frequency and with less pretense than ever before. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was referred to as a presidential candidate at one stop in his two-day South Carolina tour last week. Voters shouted '2028!' after he insisted he was there simply to strengthen the party ahead of the 2026 midterms. South Carolina has virtually no competitive midterm contests. Term-limited Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who acknowledges he's considering a 2028 bid, will spend two days touring South Carolina this week. He will focus on the state's Black community while drawing an implicit contrast with Newsom on cultural issues, according to excerpts of his planned remarks obtained by The Associated Press. California Congressman Ro Khanna, a progressive aligned with the Bernie Sanders ' wing of the Democratic Party, will target union members and Black voters when he's in the state a few days later with the son of a civil rights leader. And former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is having private conversations with key South Carolina Democrats, including presidential primary kingmaker Rep. Jim Clyburn, in which Emanuel indicated strong interest in a presidential run. That's according to Clyburn himself, who said he's also had direct contact with Beshear and Khanna after appearing alongside Newsom last week and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in May. 'That's what candidates have to do: position themselves and be ready when lightning strikes,' Clyburn said. Democrats look to turn the page from 2024 The unusually early jockeying is playing out as the Democratic Party struggles to repair its brand, rebuild its message and fill a leadership vacuum after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress in 2024. Democrats are decidedly more optimistic about 2028. Republicans will not have the advantage of incumbency in the next presidential contest; the Constitution bars President Donald Trump from seeking a third term. And the race for the Democratic nomination appears to be wide open, even as 2024 nominee Kamala Harris and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have left open the possibility of running again. With no clear front-runner, some Democratic operatives believe upwards of 30 high-profile Democrats could ultimately enter the 2028 primary — more than the party's overpacked 2020 field. And as Democrats struggle to stop Trump's power grabs in Washington, some report a real sense of urgency to get the 2028 process started. Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a rising Democratic star, told the AP earlier this year that presidential prospects 'need to be more visible earlier' as party officials look to take cues from a new generation of leaders. 'What freaks most Democrats out is not really understanding who's up next. Like, who's got next?' she said. 'And I think that that is really what people want most; they want their presidential nominee now.' A Kentucky Democrat steps into the conversationBeshear, Kentucky's 47-year-old two-term governor, is scheduled to make his first visit to South Carolina on political grounds on Wednesday and Thursday. He will promote his appeal among red-state moderates and Black voters in a Thursday speech hosted by the Georgetown County Democrats in a region that voted three times for Trump and has a large Black population. 'Democrats have a huge opportunity to seize the middle and win back the voters who have been increasingly skeptical of the Democratic brand. But it's going to take focus and discipline,' Beshear is expected to say, according to speech excerpts obtained by the AP. There are no direct jabs at Newsom in the excerpts, but Beshear is expected to continue drawing contrasts with the California governor, who earlier this year suggested his party went too far in embracing 'woke' priorities. In his prepared remarks, Beshear doesn't shy away from such progressive cultural issues. He will note he made Juneteenth an executive branch holiday for the first time in Kentucky, signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination against state workers for how they wear their hair and ordered the removal of a statue of Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War. 'The current federal administration wants to make diversity a dirty word,' Beshear plans to say. 'They want people to believe that equity means everyone isn't worthy of opportunities.' Who else is stepping up? Already this year, Walz of Minnesota and Moore of Maryland have addressed South Carolina Democrats. Biden Cabinet member Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 presidential candidate, hosted a town hall in Iowa in May. The month before, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker headlined a Democratic fundraiser in New Hampshire. Others are moving more cautiously. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has avoided any early state travel this year, focusing instead on his 2026 reelection. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also focused largely on her day job. Both would be top-tier presidential candidates should they decide to run. Khanna has been working to build his national profile since before the last election with frequent trips to New Hampshire, among other early voting states. The California congressman is scheduled to host two town-hall style meetings in South Carolina this weekend with Illinois Rep. Jonathan Jackson, the son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Khanna casts his lower profile — at least compared to potential competitors like Newsom and Shapiro — as an asset when asked about his party's early 2028 field. 'I think it's very different than in the past when you've had clear defined leaders of the party. I think that's healthy. There is no status quo person,' Khanna said. 'My guess is the last thing the party is going to want is more of the same.' Newsom's South Carolina dance Newsom spent much of last year denying interest in a presidential run. But with his final term as governor set to expire at the end of next year, his 2028 ambitions are starting to emerge more publicly. During his recent South Carolina tour, Newsom only smiled when voters shouted '2028!' after he referenced his focus on the 2026 midterms. Clyburn said openly what the California governor would not. Appearing with Newsom, Clyburn encouraged local Democrats to be energized by the visits of 'presidential candidates' coming early and often to their state. Newsom looked around, seemingly seeking the object of Clyburn's remark, as the crowd laughed. In an interview afterward, Clyburn said he doesn't have an early favorite in the 2028 Democratic nomination contest. New Hampshire remains a player Pritzker headlined a key state fundraiser in New Hampshire in May. And state Democratic leaders are privately encouraging other 2028 prospects to visit the state. Unlike South Carolina, New Hampshire features two competitive House races and a top-tier Senate election next year. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, campaigned Friday in the state with Rep. Chris Pappas, who is expected to represent Democrats on the Senate ballot next fall. In a brief interview, she insisted her only purpose was backing Pappas' campaign. 'I am here to help my friend,' she said. 'I know a lot of people here and I want to put it to use in a good way.' What do the voters say? It may be early, but some Democratic voters and local officials say they're ready to get the cycle started. Jody Gaulin, the Democratic chair of a deep-red South Carolina county, is hoping the energy that comes along with potential candidates could boost her party's ranks. 'This is exactly what we've been waiting for,' Gaulin said. It's much the same in New Hampshire. Democrat Jane Lescynski, who works at the manufacturing facility Klobuchar toured Friday, had a quick answer when asked her thoughts about the 2028 presidential election. 'I can't wait,' she said. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Ramer reported from Gilsum, New Hampshire.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Top Democrat blasts the woke words his party keeps using he says will cost them next election
Political strategist and commentator James Carville has blasted woke Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for using 'elitist jargon' that will cost them the 2028 presidential election. The longtime Democratic Party guru, famed for helping Bill Clinton win the White House, warned Tuesday that far-left buzzwords like 'equity,' 'intersectionality,' and 'generational change' are doing more harm than good at the ballot box. 'Don't use "generational change," because there are a lot of people that are older,' Carville said on his Politics War Room podcast. 'Why do you want to limit the appeal of your message to younger people? Believe me, generational change is coming whether you want it or not, I got news for ya.' Carville, 79, has spent years trying to wrench the Democratic Party away from the progressive wing he says is out of touch with swing voters — and on Tuesday, he doubled down. 'Don't use words like "structural". We're not attacking the structural issues in the world right now,' he added. 'We're trying to, like, stay alive to the next day.' Instead, he urged Democrats to stick with plainspoken ideas like 'corruption' and 'safety and security,' which he argued resonate better with real people. One of his biggest pet peeves? The word 'equity.' 'People basically don't know what [equity] means. And if they do know what it means, it looks like you're trying to force an outcome,' he said, suggesting the party stick with 'equality' instead. Carville didn't hold back when taking aim at progressive firebrands like Senator Sanders and Representative Ocasio-Cortez, who are currently on a 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour. 'This is another stupid word, "Oligarch." Who in the f--k knows what an oligarch is? As opposed to a very acceptable word I've talked about before is "fat cats." Everybody knows what a fat cat is, everybody talks about what a fat cat is.' Even the word 'community' wasn't safe. 'I wouldn't use the word "community." I don't have anything – nothing wrong with the word "community." Nothing wrong with being in a community. It's just such a Democratic word,' Carville said. 'I wouldn't even use the "LBGQT+" or whatever it is. I just call people gay, or lesbian, or trans, or I don't know.' He continued: 'You're just trying to show people how smart you are. Don't use words like that. Don't use words like "intersectionality."' Recalling a panel he heard on NPR during the pandemic, Carville quipped: 'I literally thought they were gonna go overboard in ecstasy on the radio. Okay, it's a real thing. No one uses the term "intersectionality" except for NPR.' To drive his point home, Carville invoked Mark Twain: 'The difference between the right word and a nearly right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.' 'So when you hear your elected representatives, you hear Democrats or you hear sane people using words that are not the right word, let them know that that kind of language is not helpful. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, it's just not helpful, you're wasting an opportunity to break your case.' His final piece of advice to Democrats? 'Be lightning, don't be a lightning bug.'
