By Trendsetter Tribune 
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly says he is seriously weighing a run for president in 2028, signaling growing national ambitions as tensions rise between Democrats and President Donald Trump.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNN published Wednesday, the retired astronaut and former Navy officer said the decision will depend on the political moment.
“I still think it needs to be the right person for the moment, and we don’t know what that moment is yet,” Kelly said.
Kelly is currently locked in a legal battle with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he sued earlier this month. The lawsuit challenges what Kelly calls unlawful retaliation after he appeared in a video urging service members to reject illegal orders. The Pentagon allegedly moved to censure Kelly and downgrade his military retirement rank.
In his federal court filing, Kelly argues the actions violate both the First Amendment and the constitutional independence of Congress. The complaint says the government cannot punish lawmakers for protected speech, especially when they are speaking on matters of public policy.
Kelly put it more bluntly during his CNN interview.
“I’m a f—ing U.S. senator,” he said. “I have, in theory — in theory — supercharged First Amendment speech rights under the Speech and Debate Clause, and they’re trampling on that.”
President Trump has repeatedly attacked Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers who appeared in the November video, accusing them of sedition and even suggesting they deserved the death penalty. Kelly says those remarks triggered serious security concerns, including threats against his office and his family.
Kelly’s wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, survived an assassination attempt in 2011 when she was shot in the head during a constituent event. Kelly told CNN that following Trump’s comments, police now patrol outside the homes of their adult children, and Giffords has also received threats.
Despite the pressure, Kelly has continued traveling and campaigning nationwide as the 2026 midterms approach and early positioning for the 2028 Democratic primary begins. He was previously considered a top contender to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024.
“I feel this obligation more so than anything I’ve ever done in my life,” Kelly said, “to fight back against an unhinged president and a weaponization of the federal government against the constitutional rights of a million retired veterans.”
While Kelly stopped short of announcing a formal presidential campaign, his comments make clear that 2028 is firmly on his radar.