Dem Senator Starts Testing The 2028 Waters

A sitting Democrat senator just admitted he’s already road-testing a run for the White House, while refusing to slam the door on an endorsement from a group that wants to abolish the presidency itself.

Story Snapshot

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen told NBC’s “Meet the Press” he is “kicking the tires” on a 2028 presidential bid.
He already traveled to early primary states New Hampshire and Iowa.
He said he is “not seeking” an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America but won’t reject one.
He called DSA proposals to abolish the presidency and Senate ideas that “go too far.”
No campaign committee or FEC filing has been made public.

Maryland Senator Confirms Presidential Ambitions

Chris Van Hollen said on “Meet the Press” that he is “kicking the tires” on a potential 2028 presidential run. The Maryland Democrat made the comment during an August 23, 2026 interview, marking one of his most direct public statements yet about testing a national campaign.

Van Hollen has not filed any paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. An exploratory committee lets a potential candidate raise money for travel and polling before officially declaring, but it isn’t required. Nothing in the public record shows Van Hollen has taken that formal step yet.

Early Trips to Iowa and New Hampshire Raise Eyebrows

Van Hollen already visited New Hampshire and Iowa, two states that traditionally kick off the presidential primary calendar. He acknowledged the “kicking the tires” language again in mid-June, following those trips, according to a Maryland Matters interview published in July. Early trips to these states are a classic sign a politician is weighing a national run, well before any formal announcement.

Van Hollen framed his ambitions around opposing President Trump directly. He said Democrats need to offer “a clear alternative” and explain “what they stand for beyond opposition to Trump.” That’s a tall order for a party still fractured over how far left to lean, and Van Hollen’s own answers on that question were anything but clear-cut.

Senator Refuses to Reject Socialist Endorsement

Asked directly about the Democratic Socialists of America, Van Hollen said, “I’m not going to reject an endorsement by certain individuals at the DSA. But I’m certainly not seeking the endorsement from the DSA.” He called the group “part of the party’s internal debate” rather than something to formally embrace or disown.

That’s the kind of straddle conservative voters have watched Democrats perform for years: unwilling to fully associate with the socialist label, yet unwilling to cut it loose either. The Democratic Socialists of America is not a registered political party, but its endorsed candidates run under the Democratic banner and have racked up dozens of local and congressional wins across the country in the current election cycle.

A Line Drawn, But Not a Very Deep One

Van Hollen did push back on the DSA’s most radical ideas, rejecting proposals to “abolish the presidency and Senate.” He said “those ideas go too far for me” and claimed “most Democrats have rejected them” too. That’s a small mercy for anyone who still believes in the constitutional separation of powers the founders built into this country.

Still, rejecting the most extreme planks of a socialist platform isn’t the same as rejecting socialism itself. Van Hollen stopped short of drawing any broader line against the DSA’s economic agenda, leaving plenty of room for the group’s influence to keep growing inside the party he hopes to lead onto a national ticket.

What Comes Next for a Crowded 2028 Field

Van Hollen’s comments land as the Democratic Party works through an identity crisis between its establishment wing and a rising socialist movement notching real primary victories nationwide. Whether his tire-kicking turns into an actual campaign remains to be seen, but the senator has made clear he’s unwilling to alienate the party’s socialist flank on his way toward a possible run.