While no Democrat has officially launched a 2028 presidential bid, there are several who have indicated they will throw their hats into the ring.
But President Donald Trump on Friday added another big-name Democrat who hasn’t declared yet to that list.
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Trump said Friday that he believes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is preparing for a presidential run, arguing that the New York Democrat and other progressive lawmakers are attempting to distance themselves from their previous positions on issues such as crime and immigration.
The remarks came during Trump’s trip to Long Island, just days after Ocasio-Cortez said on ABC’s “This Week” that the wave of progressive activism in 2019 and 2020, sometimes labeled “Woke 1,” had become “crazy.”
Despite those comments, Ocasio-Cortez said her immediate focus remains on this November’s midterm elections rather than a potential White House campaign.
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When asked whether he believed the congresswoman was positioning herself for a presidential bid, Trump responded, “I think so.”
He went on to say that she and other Democrats are now retreating from their previous extreme left-wing positions.
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“If you really look at it, they’re all saying the same thing,” Trump said.
“They’re all trying to disavow themselves from saying about crime and all, we love sanctuary cities. All of the things that they said they’re now trying to disavow,” he added.
Trump predicted a significant retreat from policies supporting sanctuary cities, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“I think you’re going to see sanctuary cities start to end, because sanctuary cities are a disaster,” he said. “And somebody like her, she was big for sanctuary cities.”
Ocasio-Cortez has continued to defend sanctuary city policies, arguing during a congressional hearing last year that such measures provide a check against what she described as federal overreach in immigration enforcement.
While she has not ruled out a potential 2028 presidential campaign, the New York Democrat has repeatedly said that her current focus is on this year’s midterm elections.
“I think my main focus is really genuinely just the midterms right now, and we have to make sure that we win this majority,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent in a recent interview.
Trump’s comments come as Ocasio-Cortez has gained traction in political prediction markets that track potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential election.
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The remarks were made during a broader interview in which Trump also discussed several foreign policy issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump has frequently argued that sanctuary city policies and bail reform contribute to higher crime rates.
In July, Ocasio-Cortez maintained the possibility of running for president in 2028 after a recent survey revealed the New York Democrat as the top pick among potential Democratic contenders.
When Fox News Digital asked her if she wanted to run for the Democratic nomination in 2028, she avoided answering.
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“I have genuinely not really weighed seriously anything past the midterm elections,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital when asked if she is interested in a run.
“I think that I’m taking in this information just like anybody else,” Ocasio-Cortez added.
When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, is up for reelection in two years, the progressive House Democrat has frequently considered running for both the presidency and the Senate.
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Ocasio-Cortez has supported several socialists who have beaten both incumbents and establishment Democrats in their primaries.
Ocasio-Cortez has vaulted to the top of the early 2028 Democratic presidential field in New Hampshire, narrowly edging out former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg while leaving former Vice President Kamala Harris languishing far behind in a new University of New Hampshire poll.
Ocasio-Cortez captured 22% support among likely Democratic primary voters in the Granite State Poll released Wednesday, one point ahead of the more moderate Buttigieg and a full 17 points ahead of Harris.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
