WASHINGTON — Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana indicated the possibility of a presidential run in 2028 while defending Senator Tom Cotton from criticism by former President Trump regarding Cotton's opposition to the Sunshine Protection Act. "My plans right now are to run for re-election, but as I’ve said before, if I don’t think I can be effective in the Senate anymore, I would consider it," Kennedy stated during an appearance on NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday. He added, "If a bunch of, on my side of the aisle, if a bunch of goobers run, and I think they’re goobers, and one of the goobers might win, and I think I could do a better job, I would consider running."
Kennedy, who is up for re-election in 2028, referenced the recent primary defeat of his colleague, Senator Bill Cassidy, after Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow to challenge him. Despite this, Kennedy has raised concerns about Trump and his administration, including questioning former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem regarding publicly funded advertisements just before her dismissal.
Kennedy criticized Trump for publicly sharing Cotton’s personal cellphone number following Trump's disapproval of Cotton's stance on daylight savings. "Every now and then, there are disputes in Congress that have existential significance for the future of Western civilization. Daylight Savings Time is not one of them," Kennedy remarked. He described Cotton as a "rock star senator" and expressed disapproval of Trump’s actions.
Cotton, who chairs the Senate Republican Conference, is also up for re-election on November 3. Kennedy is focused on supporting Republicans in challenging Senate races, planning to campaign in Texas, Michigan, and Ohio. He characterized the Texas race as an "unpopularity contest" between Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico, predicting a close outcome.
Kennedy expressed optimism about the Republican outlook, stating, "I will bet you a soda and a nice hat that the experts are wrong. I think it will be close. I think the biggest issue is cost of living," acknowledging that some affordability concerns are partly due to Republican actions. He emphasized that he has been actively campaigning on these issues.