Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has his eye on the 2028 presidential election.
That’s because he is considering throwing his hat on the ring, per The Hill.
“I still think it needs to be the right person for the moment, and we don’t know what that moment is yet,” the senator told CNN.
Kelly, a retired astronaut and Navy officer, is currently in a legal fight with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Kelly sued Hegseth earlier this month for attempting to censure him and lower his retirement rank.
Kelly was part of a video which urged service members to reject illegal orders.
Kelly asked a federal judge to block Hegseth’s moves and declare them unlawful.
“The First Amendment forbids the government and its officials from punishing disfavored expression or retaliating against protected speech,” the complaint read. “That prohibition applies with particular force to legislators speaking on matters of public policy.”
Kelly defended himself in his interview with CNN.
“I’m a f—ing U.S. senator. I have, in theory — in theory — supercharged First Amendment speech rights under the speech and debate clause, and they’re trampling on that,” he said.
President Donald Trump condemned Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers who participated in the video.
The president said they commented sedition and should be sentenced to death.
Kelly is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) who was shot in the head during an event with constituents in 2011.
Kelly has said threats have been made to his office since the president’s remarks. He also told CNN his wife has received threats and police have to patrol outside his adult children’s houses.
Kelly is campaigning nationwide as the midterm elections — and the 2028 Democratic primary — grow closer.
“I feel this obligation more so than anything I’ve ever done in my life, to fight back against an unhinged president and a weaponization of the federal government against the constitutional rights of a million retired veterans,” he told CNN.
