2028 Dem hopeful already sniping at another potential candidate

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is taking shots at fellow rumored 2028 presidential candidate and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, according to The New York Times.

Beshear ripped Newsom for having Steve Bannon appear on Newsom’s new podcast while the Kentucky governor was attending a Democrat policy retreat on Thursday, arguing that platforming someone like Bannon does more harm than good, according to the Times. Many have speculated that Newsom’s upstart podcast, in which he invites right-of-center guests to discuss life and politics, is a thinly-veiled effort to refine and bolster his image in the public’s eye ahead of the 2028 race for the White House.

“Newsom bringing on different voices is great, we shouldn’t be afraid to talk and to debate just about anyone,” Beshear said, according to Politico. “But Steve Bannon espouses hatred and anger, and even at some points violence, and I don’t think we should give him oxygen on any platform, ever, anywhere.”

Several early surveys conducted in 2025 have found that Democrat voters seem to prefer Harris as the party’s standard bearer for 2028, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg typically ranking a distant second, according to Newsom, according to Newsweek. Several polls show Newsom checking in with support levels comparable to those of Buttigieg, and it does not currently appear that Democrat voters are especially excited about Beshear.

Both Beshear and Newsom were frequently mentioned as potential presidential candidates in the 2024 cycle as former President Joe Biden’s candidacy fell apart following a June debate against President Donald Trump in which Biden struggled to put together sentences. Ultimately, both men stayed on the sidelines as former Vice President Kamala Harris took over at the top of the Democratic ticket and proceeded to lose all seven swing states on Election Day.

Other rumored Democrat politicians eyeing up 2028 runs include failed 2024 vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

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