Democrats Eyeing 2028 Presidential Race Unite Against Trump's Iran Strike

The National Action Network's 35th Anniversary Convention in Manhattan became the largest gathering of potential Democratic presidential contenders this election cycle, as nearly a dozen party figures converged on the city this week to court Black voters and sharpen their attacks on President Trump's Iran war. The event, hosted by the civil rights organization's founder Rev. Al Sharpton, drew former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California. Opposition to the Iran strikes, which the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28 without congressional authorization, ran as an unmistakable through-line across nearly every speech.

Harris, who drew the convention's loudest applause and chants of "run again" from the Manhattan ballroom, called the conflict a "war of choice" and questioned Trump's credibility on the outcome of the strikes themselves. "The man said he got rid of their nuclear arsenal. 'Obliterated' it he said, you know how he likes to use those kind of words, 'obliterated' it, which is not an ambiguous term that means you took it out," she said. "Well, evidently he didn't do that." She also warned that Trump's aggressive posture toward allies was inflicting lasting damage on American standing. "America has increasingly, under Donald Trump, become more unreliable as a partner to our friends," Harris said, adding that recovering that credibility would require "serious work, way beyond the end of this man's term." When Sharpton pressed her directly on 2028, Harris left little doubt about her thinking: "Listen, I might, I might. I'm thinking about it."

Moore arrived to two standing ovations and drew chants of "run Wes run," but used his platform to redirect attention toward the 2026 midterms rather than personal ambition. "Any of these people who are thinking about 2028, I need to see that you're taking 2026 seriously," he told Sharpton. "I tell people, you know, I'm hungry, but I'm not thirsty." Moore pledged to focus on winning in Maryland this fall and said his state would "send a message" in November.

Shapiro called Trump's Iran policy a product of the same recklessness defining his entire presidency, describing it as "the kind of chaos Donald Trump brings to everything he touches." Shapiro also linked the military escalation to a broader pattern of dangerous rhetoric, recounting a violent attack on his family at the Pennsylvania governor's residence last Passover and warning that political leaders bear direct responsibility for the climate they create. "When you attack people based on what they look like or how they pray, you make everyone less safe," he said.

Pritzker had gone further earlier in the week, joining congressional Democrats who called for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office over his Iran threats, including warnings to bomb civilian power plants and bridges.

Buttigieg, speaking shortly after Harris departed the stage to a room that had notably thinned, also signaled openness to another presidential run. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, widely viewed as a leading contender, was absent due to a previously scheduled family commitment, though his team noted he had met with Sharpton earlier in the year. The convention underscored how thoroughly the Iran war has reshaped Democratic politics heading into the midterm cycle, giving a crowded field of hopefuls a single, resonant issue to run on even before a formal primary begins.