Chris Van Hollen “kicking the tires” over 2028 presidential bid

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a sharp critic of President Trump, is mulling over a 2028 presidential bid.

The Maryland Democrat told the On NOTUS podcast this week that he is “kicking the tires” on a presidential campaign.

“If you’re asking me whether I think Democrats need to shake things up, you bet I do. I visited New Hampshire, kind of kicking the tires a little bit,” he said Wednesday. “It’s pretty clear that operating from within the confines of the halls of Congress is not a successful recipe for actually getting change. Too often, we are in a bubble.”

Mr. Van Hollen was a keynote speaker at the Cheshire County Democrats’ annual fundraiser. New Hampshire is the traditional first-in-the-nation primary state, serving as a critical testing ground.

The two-term senator said he is pushing for “dramatic change” in Washington.

He gained national attention for his meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national whose wrongful deportation to a mega-prison in El Salvador and subsequent return to the U.S. sparked a major legal battle; his harsh criticism of the Trump administration’s “stupid” decision to go to war with Iran; and for speaking out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr. Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said a Democratic presidential candidate should “believe in a United States foreign policy,” arguing that Obama and Biden administration senior officials should acknowledge “mistakes” in their foreign policy.

But Van Hollen is not the only Maryland Democrat to be swept into chatter about a presidential campaign. Gov. Wes Moore has been increasingly identified as a potential contender even as he continues to deny any presidential ambitions.

Mr. Moore’s campaign spokesperson, Carter Elliott IV, referred Bethesda Matters to the governor’s previous statements about being focused on reelection this fall. When asked about Mr. Van Hollen considering a presidential run, the spokesperson said, “No comment.”

Mr. Van Hollen, who served seven terms in the state House before starting his tenure on Capitol Hill, could be up against high-profile Democrats seeking the party’s primary endorsement.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former Vice President Kamala Harris have all teased their presidential consideration. At the same time, other names, such as Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, have been tossed around.