In attacking Mark Kelly, Trump is elevating a 2028 contender

[marmar]

In attacking Mark Kelly, Trump is elevating a 2028 contender
The president's threats are setting up the Arizona senator for a presidential bid

By Jason Kyle Howard
Senior Ideas Editor
Published December 1, 2025 9:25AM (EST)


(Salon) Nearly two weeks later, headlines about Donald Trump’s violent threats against a group of Democratic lawmakers — and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly in particular — aren’t fading away. New plot lines keep emerging that are ensuring the focus remains on the Arizona senator, which carries a potential risk for Republicans in 2028.

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Trump’s threats triggered a statement of solidarity from the lawmakers reiterating their message. But the story kept evolving. On Nov. 24, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Pentagon was investigating whether Kelly, a retired Navy captain and combat pilot, had violated military law with the video. According to the statement, the senator could be recalled to active duty to face “court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.” The following day it was revealed that the FBI was opening a probe into the lawmakers’ conduct and would be attempting to schedule interviews with each of the six lawmakers.

By virtue of the Pentagon investigation, as well as rumors of his presidential ambitions, Kelly has received the lion’s share of attention. That’s bad news for Republicans and constitutes a major error on the part of Trump, whose actions have had unintended consequences: He has elevated Kelly as a potential 2028 rival, if not for himself then for his MAGA successor, whether that ends up being Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Donald Trump Jr. — who’s in second place behind Vance according to a recent poll — or even Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently announced her retirement from Congress.

Like any politician worth their salt, Kelly is taking advantage of the increased attention from Trump’s attacks. Over the past 10 days, the senator has been on a media blitz. With the notable exception of Fox News, he has chalked up appearances on every major network and cable news channel. There was his Nov. 23 interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” followed by multiple appearances on MSNOW, including “Morning Joe” on Nov. 21 and “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Nov. 25. ABC was next; Kelly appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Nov. 26. He pulled double duty over the holiday weekend, sitting down with Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” ......................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/12/01/in-attacking-mark-kelly-trump-is-elevating-a-2028-contender/

[Turbineguy]

1. A decent President

What a concept!