Welcome to Washington: Democrats Audition Abroad for 2028 Race

If there’s one thing Democrats learned from their 2024 loss, it’s that they will have to garner earned coverage primarily on social media even in the unlikeliest of places, including engagements abroad where they have the chance to take shots at President Trump. Nearly two years before the first caucuses and primaries are held here at home, Democrats are testing out both their foreign policy messages and, more importantly, their virality in being able to defend an international order that is not held in the highest regard. Welcome to Washington, where domestic issues have largely taken a back seat as lawmakers return from the Munich Security Conference in Germany and spend the week back in their congressional districts and home states. The Munich gathering, which Mr. Trump did not attend, seemed less like a constructive exchange of ideas, and rather a series of declarations about the death of the post-Cold War liberal hierarchy. Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany hypothesized that America’s role as a global leader may be “lost.” President Emma’s Macron of France said his continent should embrace a sense of “audacity” and become a geopolitical power in its own right, less dependent on the United States. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, told the assembled crowd that Europe must stop “constantly leaning” on others, without naming America. As the rift continues to grow between the United States and European allies, Democrats took the opportunity to travel to the conference to lay out their own foreign policy visions, though those laying the groundwork for a spirited 2028 campaign straddled the line between a Bidenesque, full-throated defense of the transatlantic alliance and carving out their own, more populist vision of foreign relations. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke at the conference, declined to rule out a presidential run and embraced the idea of a “billionaires tax” when asked by an audience member. Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, a Marine, warned Europe that the ongoing rift is a result of Mr. Trump being “petty,” not of real policy disagreements. Senator Chris Murphy said the president has been “engineering” a “rushed” victory campaign with respect to Israel and Gaza without a real cessation of hostilities. Clips of the defiant lawmakers bashing Mr. Trump overseas garnered tens of millions of views across various social media platforms. With an increasingly engaged, high-propensity, highly educated voter base, the digs at Mr. Trump abroad could prove more useful than had these candidates been running even ten years ago for president. One of the few notable stumbles from the weekend came from Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. Elected to serve as her state’s governor in 2018, Ms. Whitmer is leaving office at the beginning of next year — the perfect time to launch a Democratic primary campaign for the presidency. When asked what “victory” for Ukraine would look like, Ms. Whitmer dodged. “The two that I am on the panel with are much more steeped in foreign policy than a governor is,” Ms. Whitmer said with a laugh after trying to pass the question off to Mr. Trump’s NATO ambassador, Matthew Whitaker. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was also on the panel.Ms. Whitmer went on to say only that Ukraine should be able to keep its land and have the support of “all” of its allies, without offering specifics. The one person falling over himself to embrace President Biden’s belief in the transatlantic system was Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who not only attended the conference at Munich, but the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, as well. Speaking to a crowd on Saturday along with fellow panelists, Mr. Newsom offered some praise to Europeans for banding together in the face of Mr. Trump’s threats. “I believe Europe feels more united today than it has in some time,” he told the crowd during a panel on climate change. Mr. Newsom went so far as to remind the audience that Mr. Trump was only “temporary” and that change is closer than it may seem. “California is a stable and reliable partner in this space,” the governor said in such a way that felt as if the words “California” and “Newsom” were interchangeable. In 2024, Vice President Harris ran a cautious campaign, seemingly afraid of the potential for unscripted moments. If Munich proves anything, it’s that Democrats are flexing their muscles far from America’s shores in an attempt to win the attention war and the battle for disaffected American voters ahead of the 2028 race.

Welcome to Washington: Democrats Audition Abroad for 2028 Race

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