US Democratic Senator Mark Kelly has said he will “seriously consider” running for president in 2028 as he battles the Trump administration over a video in which he urged military personnel to refuse illegal orders.
The Arizona senator, who was accused of “seditious behaviour” by Donald Trump over the November clip, said he and his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, received “many” death threats after the president’s comments.
“We get them on a weekly basis now,” he told BBC Newsnight. “We had to get security to protect us 24 hours a day.”
Asked if he was considering a White House run, the retired Navy captain said he was considering it “because we’re in some seriously challenging times”.
That is implicit in what I said. I don’t endorse Newsome or Kelly. I love what I’m seeing out of Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois, but I can’t vote for her. I’m a hopeful pragmatist.
As for the rest, we are doing irreparable harm to our people and others. That’s not a price I’m willing to pay. It’s a price that I fear might harm us all for decades or longer if Trump chooses to do autocracy.
Then for all our sakes, let’s hope someone comes to the presidential run with a position we can all accept even if we don’t all love everything about them and let’s hope the midterms go well to at least stanch the bleeding right now.