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In today’s edition, Allan Smith files a dispatch from one of the first cattle calls of the nascent 2028 Democratic presidential campaign. Plus, Kristen Welker shares what she learned from her trip to Cuba, where she spoke with the country’s president.
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— Adam Wollner
Kamala Harris shows how she would enter the 2028 Democratic race with a head start
Analysis by Allan Smith
At one of the first cattle calls for prospective 2028 Democratic presidential candidates, former Vice President Kamala Harris showed that she would enter the race with a head start on the rest of the field.
Harris drew the loudest cheers and biggest crowd at this week’s National Action Network conference in New York City. Despite her 2024 defeat to President Donald Trump, very early polling of a potential 2028 presidential race shows Harris at the top of the Democratic field, due in part to her higher name recognition.
Speaking at the conference today, Harris stood before a crowd of mostly Black voters and activists — a key Democratic constituency that holds her, the highest-ranking Black woman in American history, in high regard.
She was among a long list of potential White House contenders to attend the conference for a conversation with the Rev. Al Sharpton. Others included Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Wes Moore of Maryland and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, as well as Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is slated to speak with Sharpton tomorrow.
All were asked about the 2028 election. Most were coy about their intentions. Not Harris, who was interrupted by chants of “run again” during her discussion with Sharpton.
“Listen, I might,” Harris said. “I’m thinking about it.”
Harris and the other Democratic politicians spoke at length about their differences with Trump on foreign policy, particularly the war in Iran and his approach to traditional U.S. alliances. They also strongly criticized his handling of the economy. Many said their party needs to rethink their approach to delivering results for voters.
But 2028 hung over the event. Buttigieg was one attendee who barely hid his intentions, saying “I’ll be there” when Sharpton asked whether he should save Buttigieg a seat at a restaurant they had lunch at in New York during his 2020 campaign in the event of a 2028 bid.
The others, meanwhile, said their focus was solely on this year’s midterms.
Some attendees chanted “run Wes run” in support of Moore, who yesterday said: “Any of these people who are thinking about 2028, I need to see that you’re taking 2026 seriously.”
“And so, I’m very clear and I’m locked in,” he added. “I’m not just trying to win in November, but I’m telling you, in Maryland, we’re going to send a message.”
When Gallego was asked about running in 2028, he said: “I’m going to be a good team player and make sure the Democrats win in 2026 and then we’ll deal with those questions.”
“I agree with you,” Sharpton later responded. “We’re here to talk about that, but the fact that you’re here means I can ask the question.”
Cuba’s president takes a defiant stance in the face of Trump’s threats
I just got back from Cuba, where I sat down with President Miguel Díaz-Canel for an exclusive interview — his first with a U.S. broadcast network — as his country finds itself in an escalating war of words with President Donald Trump and his administration.
Díaz-Canel was defiant amid Trump’s musings about a possible “takeover” of the country and after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the only way to change the conditions in the country would be to “change the people in charge.” While Trump has largely said Cuba would fall on its own and hasn’t leaned into the idea of military intervention, it’s still unclear what his plans are for the country.
“In Cuba, the people who are in leadership positions are not elected by the U.S. government, and they don’t have a mandate from the U.S. government. We have a free sovereign state, a free state,” Díaz-Canel said when I asked if he’d be willing to step down to help save the country.
“Stepping down is not part of our vocabulary,” he said, later adding this stunning response to the Trump administration’s threats: “I have no fear. I am willing to give my life for the revolution.”
Díaz-Canel confirmed to me that even as his country prepares for the possibility of a military attack, there were talks underway between the U.S. and Cuba. But it’s not clear what each side is asking for.
We know that, broadly, America wants a release of political prisoners and multiparty elections that could break up what’s been a communist-controlled government for decades. But the Cuban president would not commit to making any of these changes in our conversation, raising questions about whether a deal could be reached.
The stakes for these negotiations are especially high for the everyday Cubans in a nation that’s been struggling economically for decades. The U.S. oil blockade has exacerbated the poverty and desperation in the country — we saw bread lines and trash piled high because there’s no fuel for garbage trucks due to the blockade.
Join me this Sunday on “Meet the Press,” where you can watch more from my interview with the Cuban president and also hear from two prominent members of Congress: Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
➡️ For subscribers: In California’s crowded race for governor, the possibility that two Republicans could advance from an all-party primary sparked anxiety among Democrats. Then Trump got involved. Read more →
🗞️ Today’s other top stories
- 👀 Exclusive: White House officials and their allies sought to pressure an Indiana Republican to drop out of a state Senate primary earlier this year, floating job opportunities and warning of the personal attacks she could face as they worked to pave the way for Trump’s preferred candidate. Read more →
- 📈 Inflation watch: Surging gas prices pushed inflation to its highest level in two years last month. The annual rate of inflation hit 3.3%, led by a 21.2% increase for gasoline — the largest one-month increase at the pump since 1967. Read more →
- 🗣️ Iran war: Iran will enter peace talks with the U.S. emboldened by the regime’s survival and the key leverage it still holds, experts say, even as Israeli strikes on Lebanon threaten to derail the process and the heavy cost of the war pile up. Read more →
- 🌎 As MAGA world turns: Trump went after big-name conservative media figures over their criticism of his handling of the war in Iran, calling some of his former allies “low IQ,” “losers” and “nut jobs.” Read more →
- ➡️ From Trump’s Truth Social: The president posted a graphic video last night showing a man smashing an SUV parked outside a Florida gas station with a hammer and then using it to bludgeon a woman who exited the attached convenience store to confront him. Read more →
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.
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