Democrats approach 2028 with no frontrunner
The David Pakman Show - August 14, 2026
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During a Fox News interview, Vice President JD Vance attempted to justify Trump’s shifting war objectives in Iran. His struggle to present clear economic policy solutions illustrates the political challenges he faces ahead of his likely presidential campaign.
Prediction markets show Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez surging past Governor Gavin Newsom into first place for the 2028 Democratic nomination. Her recent media appearances and strategic campaigning have generated strong momentum in an increasingly open primary field.
Karoline Leavitt announced her departure from the White House press office to transition into an outside advisory role. Her decision highlights broader national challenges surrounding maternity leave, childcare costs, and workplace flexibility for working families.
The Kennedy Center board voted for a two-year shutdown to avoid severe budget overruns on facility upgrades. This decision marks another significant delay for high-profile capital projects tied to Donald Trump in Washington.
Prediction markets place the battle for the Senate majority at an even split heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats must defend critical seats in Georgia and Michigan while securing key pickup opportunities in North Carolina and Maine.
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell publicly challenged the results after losing the Minnesota Republican primary by over 45,000 votes. He cited pre-election polling and alleged voting machine issues rather than accepting the official election tally.
Finally, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is laying the groundwork for a prospective 2028 presidential campaign as an anti-war populist. His recent policy manifestos and media influence position him as a strong alternative to options like JD Vance and Marco Rubio.
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I see your point but may I please add? My front runner is Mark Kelly from the very git-go. From the moment he spoke up at the moment it was time to speak up he did so with grace and courage and pure truth. No one seems to remember but I do. Folks just keep thinking every election is like American Idol. That we need a charismatic star. And that is what media folks look for and then promote. I think this is from many years of reality TV game shows. For someone who never paid for or watched cable TV I see it differently. We don’t need a star. We need someone effective. We need people with expertise. It would be very helpful to the democracy if the promoters of people who have big audiences would please promote subject matter experts too. And profiles in courage types not just the cinematic types. I think we also forget that some folks are just naturally humble and just want to do their jobs and be effective. They do not care to self-promote or express and emote on social media. This is not to disparage AOC. She is the bomb and that is obvious. We are supremely lucky to have her sticking with us and working so hard for us. She has been great and very honest and courageous. I love her like mad. But for a general election I would say the racism and misogyny in the U.S. is very much underestimated. We have already seen evidence of this. Trump had help from Russia and the Americans too. Thank you, David, I am very grateful to be able to share what I think with you.
Republicans are not yet allowed (by Trump) to consider a post Trump world.
Trump is still talking about 'winning' the 2028 election...
All non-Trump aligned Republicans are still in the minority, which is why Trump is able to keep Senators and Representatives (mostly) in line.
Polls are inherently flawed but they are much better than the 'prediciton markets' which are just another gambling game. Those with more money have an outsized impact on it, and people with that much 'disposable income' are not feeling the same things most voters are feeling.
Democrats are not talking about 2028 right now, because (at least the serious ones) they are focused on winning this 2026 election first. Plenty of timme after that to focus on who will lead the charge.
The true leaders are focused on building an agenda, and I think you will find that agenda is not the same one Chuck Schumer focuses on. it is much more agressive, much more focused on changing the system to crrect the major problems we have that allowed Trump to win in the first place (because people were desperate, and wealth had already corrupted the system).