The former Navy captain and astronaut says "we're in some seriously challenging times".

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”.

  • Sunflier@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    2 days ago

    Personally, what I am hoping for is a ticket with AOC as president, and Mark Kelly as vice.

    I’d rather AOC take over the Senate and replace Schumer as majority (minority for now, but majority forever) leader. She’d have more influence for longer than just being a president.

    • noevidenz@infosec.pub
      4·
      2 days ago

      As far as I know, there’s no reason that a president couldn’t return to the Senate after their term is up. So why not both?

    • SabinStargem@lemmy.todayEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      That’s fair. IMO, the presidency is more important in this political environment, since setting the direction and tone of the nation is important.

      It sucks that we don’t have lots of a high-profile progressives, because the spread of competent and fiery people is a bit too thin. Our agenda shouldn’t have tradeoffs about who is best for what.

      • TheFinn@discuss.tchncs.de
        4·
        2 days ago

        It’s been the bureaucratic underpinnings that have kept the country recognizable for now. I would argue that the left needs more long term, behind the scenes work, similar to what the right did for decades before Trump came along.

      • Sunflier@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        IMO, the presidency is more important in this political environment, since setting the direction and tone of the nation is important.

        Maybe. What’s more important in setting the shape of the administration? The dough (cabnet, legislative agenda, international stance) good for just 4 years? Or the mold that dough must pass through?

        • SabinStargem@lemmy.todayEnglish
          21·
          2 days ago

          It really depends on whether a president gets two terms, and now the possibility of a civil war. Senate is good if you expect normalish times…which is iffy. I think the midterms will decide what tack AOC and friends will follow.

          If it were possible, I wouldn’t mind Sanders being the 2028 candidate, if he still has a sound mind and the conditions allow for a peacetime president. Setting aside age, I kinda worry that he lacks sufficient hostility to prosecute the Epstein class - because he is a gentle dude, IMO.