WASHINGTON — Sen. John Kennedy, known for his sharp one-liners, is leaving open the possibility of a 2028 presidential bid while defending Sen. Tom Cotton against President Trump’s anger over his opposition to the Sunshine Protection Act.
“My plans right now are to run for re-election, but as I’ve said before, if I don’t think I can be effective in the Senate anymore, I would consider it,” the 74-year-old Louisiana Republican told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“I haven’t made a decision. If a bunch of, on my side of the aisle, if a bunch of goobers run, and I think they’re goobers, and one of the goobers might win, and I think I could do a better job, I would consider running.”
Kennedy, a Louisiana senator whose viral soundbites and distinctive Southern drawl have made him a political standout, is up for re-election in 2028.
His fellow Louisiana Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy, lost a primary earlier this year after Trump backed Rep. Julia Letlow’s effort to defeat him.
Still, Kennedy has not shied away from questioning Trump or his administration. His pointed questioning of then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about publicly funded advertisements came shortly before she was fired.
On Sunday, Kennedy criticized Trump for publicly targeting Cotton. The president released the Arkansas senator’s personal cellphone number during a fierce attack over Cotton’s opposition to legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
“Every now and then, there are disputes in Congress that have existential significance for the future of Western civilization. Daylight Savings Time is not one of them,” Kennedy said. “Tom Cotton feels strongly about it. Tom is a rock star senator.”
CHECK THIS OUT: Nearly All Women on Small-Boat Journeys to UK Report Rape
“The president, as we know, can be sometimes — he, he exists loudly,” Kennedy added. “He can be tempestuous. He can go from zero to a-hole in about three seconds.”
“I don’t think he should have given out Tom’s cellphone number.”
Cotton, who chairs the Senate Republican Conference, is scheduled to face re-election on Nov. 3.
Kennedy is also working to help Republicans in competitive Senate contests. He said he plans to campaign in Texas, Michigan and Ohio.
He characterized the Texas race as an “unpopularity contest” between Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico.
“I think ultimately Mr. Paxton will win because I think Texas is a Republican state, but I think it’s gonna be very, very close,” Kennedy said.
More broadly, Kennedy suggested that the political environment could be less difficult for Republicans than many pundits predict.
“I will bet you a soda and a nice hat that the experts are wrong. I will think — I do think it will be close. I think the biggest issue is cost of living,” he said.
Kennedy acknowledged that Republicans bear some responsibility for voters’ affordability concerns. “Some of that is our fault,” he said. “We should have done more, but we’ve done a lot, and I’ve been out on the campaign trail talking about it.”