Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, Bridget Bowman looks at the not-so-subtle beginnings of the 2028 presidential contest, from the online list-building to the on-the-ground appearances in early primary states. Plus, Jonathan Allen analyzes Trump’s recent reckonings with the limits of his power on foreign policy.
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— Scott Bland
The shadow 2028 primary gains momentum
By Bridget Bowman (with Alexandra Marquez contributing)
It might be way too early to be thinking about the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. But potential contenders are already jockeying to boost their profiles and their campaign coffers.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is the latest potential contender to boast a strong fundraising report, announcing today that he raised a whopping $10 million through his Senate campaign and a joint fundraising committee after his marathon speech on the Senate floor in April.
As a reminder, Booker did not rule out another presidential run during an April appearance on “Meet the Press,” saying he’s focused on his 2026 re-election race. He also told NBC News’ Julie Tsirkin today that he hopes the big fundraising haul “can scare away competition in New Jersey and I can do what I’ve done in previous cycles, which is help as many other people as I can.”
Fundraising reports for the second quarter are due to the Federal Election Commission next week, so we’ll see how other potential presidential hopefuls are faring. Some high-profile progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted some big numbers in the first quarter of the year.
Meanwhile, potential presidential contenders are also hitting the campaign trail, popping up in states that also just happen to be traditionally early primary states, though the 2028 calendar isn’t set yet.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was on a two-day tour of South Carolina this week with the state’s Democratic Party. Both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., will be in South Carolina next week, with Beshear appearing at an AFL-CIO convention and county party fundraiser, and Khanna hosting a “Benefits Over Billionaires” town hall meeting.
This weekend, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will head to New Hampshire to campaign with Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for Senate. And next month, Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego will head to Iowa, touting his trip with a hype video that has “We Will Rock You” blaring in the background.
These potential candidates aren’t wasting any time to show off their fundraising strengths and get some face time with voters in early primary states — and maybe enjoy some Charleston barbecue, Iowa fair food and New England clam chowder along the way.
Trump confronts the limits of his power on foreign policy
Analysis by Jonathan Allen
President Donald Trump keeps expecting powerful sovereign nations to bend to his will, and they continue to disappoint.
With a presidential term under his belt already, and a lifetime of cutting business deals, he should have seen that coming.
While the U.S. is the biggest kid on the international playground, it is not powerful enough to override the national interests of other major players. U.S. views are a factor in their decisions, but not the only factor — and usually not the most important factor.
That’s especially true at a time when the people of many nations, including neighbors Canada and Mexico, see the U.S. as both their top ally and the top threat, according to new survey data from the Pew Research Center.
If Trump is learning the limits of American dominance, he’s doing so the hard way. The most obvious examples are on twin pillars of foreign policy: war and trade.
Trump famously vowed during his campaign that he would resolve the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. It’s been nearly six months, and there is no sign of progress toward peace. That has Trump on the warpath.
He vented about Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, accusing the Russian president of selling “bulls—” to American negotiators. “I’m not happy with Putin,” Trump said. Russia launched massive strikes on Ukraine on Thursday anyway.
A few months ago, Trump said his administration would sign 90 trade deals in 90 days. That hasn’t happened.
He’s got frameworks for agreements with China and the U.K., but those modest advances have not stopped him from issuing more threats to impose tariffs on foreign goods. Though he has kicked the can down the road a few times, he insists that won’t happen again when his latest deadline arrives in August.
The risk that tariffs will backfire by jacking up prices on U.S. consumers is high, and foreign countries are free to trade with one another at the expense of Americans’ access to goods.
The world will have to wait and see whether Trump actually takes that plunge.
But what is already clear is that, except in isolated circumstances, he can’t just wave his hand and expect other nations to dance for him.
Today’s other top stories
- In the courts: A federal judge in New Hampshire temporarily blocked Trump’s order restricting birthright citizenship from going into effect throughout the country. Read more →
- Buyer’s remorse?: Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., strongly criticized Pete Hegseth in an interview, saying that the defense secretary is “out of his depth” in his role overseeing the nation’s military and that his decision to halt weapons shipments to Ukraine was “amateurish.” Read more →
- In plane sight: The head of the Environmental Protection Agency appeared to nod to conspiracy theories that have swirled around recent extreme weather events, directing people to the agency’s website for science-based information on geoengineering and contrails. Read more →
- Long trail of consequences: The Secret Service suspended six people without pay after the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump last July, an official with the agency told NBC News. Read more →
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Scott Bland and Dylan Ebs.
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