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In recent developments, two prominent figures in the Democratic Party, California Governor Gavin Newsom and former presidential candidate Kamala Harris, have hinted at their political aspirations, though not officially declaring their intentions.
While this isn’t a forecast or an endorsement, it’s worth examining the potential candidates making waves as possible contenders for the role of the 48th President of the United States.
Let’s address the most talked-about possibility first.
Former President Donald Trump has sparked speculation with his team’s creation of “Trump 2028” merchandise and his occasional hints at a third presidential run. Adding fuel to the fire, former senior advisor Steve Bannon has publicly stated that Trump “would be there” for the 2028 race.
However, any possible bid by Trump faces a significant constitutional hurdle. The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly limits presidents to two terms in office.
To change the Constitution, Trump would require not only a supermajority of support in Congress and the Senate, but also among the states of the Union.
However, the current Supreme Court has previously been willing to grant Trump some, let’s say “largesse”, around how the Constitution’s limitations on the presidency may be interpreted.
Let’s put it this way – if an 82-year-old Trump wants to be in the mix come 2028, it would be a bold person indeed who would rule it out completely.
The now-loyal vice president who once declared his current boss “America’s Hitler”, Vance is the current favourite to be the next president, according to a number of betting markets.
Earlier this year, Trump declined to fully endorse Vance as the MAGA heir apparent, suggesting Secretary of State Marco Rubio – another former critic – could also take charge.
Vance would only turn 44 in 2028, which would make him the third-youngest president to be inaugurated in US history, after Theodore Roosevelt (42) and John F Kennedy (43).
He’s wisely kept mum about his future ambitions and plans for now – Trump’s favour can be a chancy thing for the outspoken.
Trump’s erstwhile nemesis – if for only 107 days, as the title to her new book makes clear – has recently suggested she could run for the Oval Office again.
In a BBC interview while promoting her campaign book, Harris said she was “not done” with public service.
Asked directly if she believed she could be the first woman president of the US, Harris said “possibly”.
The former vice president, who became the uncontested nominee for the Democratic Party following then-President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race in 2024, was thumped by Trump, becoming the first Democratic candidate to lose the popular vote since 2004, when the US rallied around George W Bush’s wartime flag.
Harris has mostly lain low since her defeat but has not ceased her criticism of Trump, while her book 107 Days makes it clear she believed she was sidelined by Biden’s team and not supported throughout her truncated campaign.
The odds currently don’t favour her, but it doesn’t appear to have put her off.
Among those with the shortest odds on the still-distant presidency is California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said recently he would make a decision on a presidential run after the 2026 mid-terms.
Newsom has proven willing to go to the mat with Trump on a number of issues, including disaster recovery aid for California and pushing back on the deployment of the US military in US cities.
However, his social media team might deserve at least some of the credit for his sudden surge to potential future candidate.
Newsom’s recent posts have taken to mimicking Trump’s own, mocking the blustering style of the president’s Truth Social posts while continuing to level stinging criticism of the president and his political allies.
Those Trump 2028 hats we mentioned earlier – a winking response from MAGA spokespeople when they first appeared was that they need not refer to Donald Trump Sr.
Ivanka Trump was an extremely visible part of her father’s first administration but has kept more offstage this time around, though her husband Jared Kushner has been part of US negotiations over the Gaza war.
Donald Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, has been much more in his father’s pocket for his second term.
Though he holds no official government position, he was a permanent presence on the campaign trail and is running much of the family business.
The presidency as a family firm? Well, it’s been tried before by the Kennedys, the Clintons, and the Bush family, who did actually manage to notch up two leaders of the free world.
Among the Democrats in particular, there are plenty of potential challengers, including left-wing stalwart Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her Capitol Hill colleague Cory Booker, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has proven able to serve pithy comebacks to MAGA attacks and who stood his ground against federal troops being deployed to Chicago.
But who knows? Some betting markets are even offering 101-1 odds on Madame President Taylor Swift.
In the chimerical, chaotic world of modern American politics, it might not be the silliest thing to punt on.