Sen.Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he’s “kicking the tires” on a potential 2028 presidential bid.
“We need to be against the status quo, and that’s why I’ve been kicking the tires as I look at 2028 because I don’t think the Democratic Party has answered the call about how we’re going to make sure we have an economy that really does work for everybody, especially working people,” he said.The senator’s comments came as he was pressed on whether he is interested in challenging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as the chamber’s party leader, if Democrats retake the Senate this fall.
Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether he was interested in the position, Van Hollen said that his focus was “not on majority leader, it’s on what Democrats stand for going into 2028.”Van Hollen, a longtime member of Congress, has been a prominent critic of the Trump administration and has pushed for Democrats to provide a clear alternative to the Republican Party’s agenda.He has previously said he is “kicking the tires” in considering a potential 2028 run, acknowledging the possibility of a presidential campaign to NOTUS and at the Hill Nation Summit, an annual event put on by The Hill and NewsNation.
Asked to clarify on “Meet the Press” whether his “kicking the tires” comments meant he was thinking about running, he noted that he has been to New Hampshire and Iowa, which have historically been the first two nominating states.In 2028, New Hampshire will still be an early nominating state, but Iowa was pushed out of the early window.
“I think there’s a great deal of churning within the Democratic party, and I support that,” he said.“As I said, I think we need this healthy debate because I don’t think Democrats have put forward a clear alternative to the Trump administration.”Pushed again on whether he was considering running for president, Van Hollen said, “Democrat...