Sen. John Kennedy, 74, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he is thinking about a 2028 presidential run — but only if he thinks the field is weak enough to justify it.
“If a bunch of goobers run and one of them might win, I’d consider running,” Kennedy said, describing a scenario where he sees a flawed group of candidates and believes one of them could end up president.
The remarks came as Kennedy went after President Trump over the Arkansas senator’s refusal to back a bill making daylight savings permanent. Trump responded fiercely, releasing Cotton’s personal cellphone number in a public rebuke of the senator for opposing the measure.
Cotton’s cellphone number
Trump released Cotton’s personal cellphone number in a fierce rebuke of the Arkansas senator for opposing a bill to make daylight savings permanent. Kennedy defended Cotton against Trump’s wrath, calling the daylight savings dispute “not one of them” issues with “existential significance for the future of Western civilization.”
Kennedy called Cotton “a rock star senator” and said Trump “can go from zero to a-hole in about three seconds.” He also said Cotton “feels strongly about it” and that “I don’t think he should have given out Tom’s cellphone number.”
Cotton chairs the Senate Republican Conference and is up for reelection on Nov. 3.
Cassidy’s fall
Kennedy also questioned former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem over publicly funded ads, which came right before her firing. That line of questioning came as a reminder of a recent Republican loss.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was taken down in a primary earlier this year after Trump pushed for Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) to oust him.
“If a bunch of goobers run and one of them might win, I’d consider running.”
The cost of living
Kennedy cited the cost of living as the biggest issue, saying “some of that is our fault” and that Republicans “should have done more, but we’ve done a lot.”
He also stumped in Texas, Michigan and Ohio to help Republicans in tough Senate races. In Texas, Kennedy described the race as an “unpopularity contest” between Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico.
Kennedy said Paxton will likely win but it will be “very, very close,” calling Texas a Republican state. He bet “a soda and a nice hat” that experts are wrong about the election forecast.
What Kennedy actually said
The full exchange with NBC’s “Meet the Press” included several key points:
- Kennedy said he is considering a 2028 presidential run.
- He tied that consideration to a field he considers weak, using the phrase “goobers run.”
- He defended Sen. Tom Cotton against Trump’s attack over the daylight savings bill.
- He called the daylight savings dispute trivial compared to bigger issues.
- He criticized Trump’s decision to release Cotton’s cellphone number.
The context of the primaries
The Cassidy situation provides a warning sign for Kennedy. Trump’s push for Letlow to challenge Cassidy in the primary led to Cassidy’s defeat, and Kennedy raised the question of whether Trump’s influence had gone too far.
Noem’s firing followed a questioning session by Kennedy, but the source does not describe a pattern linking the two events beyond the timing.
The races ahead
Kennedy is working to help Republicans in tight Senate races in Texas, Michigan and Ohio. His assessment of the Texas contest — Paxton winning but barely — shows how closely he is tracking the margins.
The “unpopularity contest” framing describes a race where both candidates are disliked, though the source offers no prediction about which of the two will prevail. Kennedy’s bet on the forecast being wrong adds a note of confidence, though he framed it as a low-stakes wager rather than a prediction.
What this means for Kennedy
The 74-year-old senator is now weighing whether to run for president in 2028. His condition — a field he considers weak — is notable because it suggests he sees current candidates as unappealing.
Kennedy’s defense of Cotton is also significant. By calling Cotton “a rock star senator” and criticizing Trump’s handling of the situation, Kennedy is positioning himself as a defender of colleagues who face Trump’s wrath.
The bottom line
Kennedy is sending a message to the GOP establishment: he is watching the field, and he is prepared to step in if he thinks the party needs a stronger candidate. Whether that happens depends on who else runs and how the primaries play out.
For now, Kennedy remains focused on helping Republicans hold onto Senate seats in November. His comments on the cost of living and his willingness to criticize Trump directly show a senator who is comfortable speaking his mind.
The 2028 presidential race is still years away, but Kennedy has made it clear he is thinking about it. Whether he runs will depend on whether he believes the field is weak enough to justify his candidacy.
What is most striking about Kennedy’s comments is his directness. He is not hiding his ambitions, and he is laying out the conditions under which he would consider stepping forward.
That approach is consistent with how Kennedy operates. He has spent his career as a blunt-spoken politician, willing to speak his mind even when it puts him at odds with powerful figures. His willingness to criticize Trump over Cotton’s cellphone number shows that same quality in action.
Kennedy’s comments also carry a warning for the Republican field. If he decides to run, he will be entering a crowded field with a strong personal brand and a track record of taking on powerful figures. His statement that he would consider running if “a bunch of goobers run” suggests he believes the current crop of candidates is weak enough to create an opening.
Whether that assessment proves accurate is another matter. The 2028 field is still years away, and a great deal can change between now and then. But Kennedy has made it clear where he stands, and his supporters know what to expect.
For now, the focus remains on the Senate races in November. Kennedy’s work in Texas, Michigan and Ohio will determine whether Republicans hold onto those seats, and his assessment of the Texas contest — Paxton winning but barely — shows how closely he is tracking the margins.
The cost of living, meanwhile, remains Kennedy’s top priority. He cited it as the biggest issue, saying “some of that is our fault” and that Republicans “should have done more, but we’ve done a lot.” His comments suggest he believes the party has made progress but acknowledges there is more work to be done.
As he moves through the final stretch before November, Kennedy will continue to weigh his options. The 2028 field is still years away, and a great deal can change between now and then. But one thing is clear: Kennedy is thinking about the presidency, and he is not afraid to say so.
The question now is whether the conditions he has laid out come to pass. If they do, he may very well run. If not, he will likely continue his work in the Senate, helping Republicans hold onto seats in Texas, Michigan and Ohio.
Either way, Kennedy has made his position clear. He is watching the field, and he is ready to act if the moment calls for it.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither Kennedy’s boast nor Trump’s retaliation, and instead supports the principle that elected representatives should serve their constituents without being threatened or harassed. Kennedy’s comments about a 2028 presidential run and his defense of Cotton against Trump’s attack both point toward the same underlying dynamic: a senator weighing his own ambitions while defending a colleague from executive pressure.
The paper’s north star is individual freedom, small business and no concentrations of power, applied to politics as well as business. A political system where a president can retaliate against a sitting senator by releasing his personal cellphone number is a concentration of power the paper opposes. So is a field of candidates that rewards a senator for boasting about his own ambition rather than serving his constituents.
The paper would prefer a political culture where representatives serve their constituents without fear of retaliation and where a senator’s career is judged on his work, not on his boasts about a future campaign. It would watch for any signs that the 2028 field is becoming weaker or more divided, and it would welcome a candidate who builds his case on performance rather than on a description of other candidates as “goobers.”
Source material: “Sen. Kennedy, 74, floats 2028 prez bid if ‘a bunch of goobers run’ — as he goes after Trump,” the New York Post.
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