Several top Democrats, such as former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, are all expected to run for president in 2028.
But one young, up-and-coming figure says he is not planning to jump into the race, CNN noted.
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore says he will not run for president in 2028, despite being frequently touted among Democrats as a prospective presidential contender.
That hasn’t prevented continuous speculation about his future political aspirations, especially since he continues to make engagements outside of Maryland, which boost his national image. On Friday, he will fly to South Carolina, an early presidential primary state, to speak at the Blue Palmetto Dinner.
When questioned about 2028, the governor was straightforward.
“I’m not running,” Moore told The Associated Press in an interview. He also said, when asked, that he isn’t trying to get his name in the conversation for a potential vice presidential candidacy, either.
Moore downplayed his high-profile trips to battleground states, including a recent trip to South Carolina.
“And people should get very used to me going all over the country bringing business back to Maryland, because that’s exactly what I plan on doing as long as I’m the governor of the state,” Moore said after a dedication in Annapolis for a memorial to former Rep. Parren Mitchell.
Moore, who is in the third year of his first term, expects to compete for reelection in predominantly Democratic Maryland next year. He said becoming the state’s governor during a difficult period requires his whole attention.
Another name continues to be floated as making early moves before 2028: Pete Buttigieg.
Buttigieg continues to force his way into the digital media sphere, defying traditional Democratic standards as talk of a presidential run grows.
The former secretary came to Washington this week to attend an event with Democratic content producers and make some media appearances, as talk mounts about a 2028 presidential run following Buttigieg’s revelation that he will not compete for the open Michigan Senate or gubernatorial seat.
Buttigieg spoke with the Washington Examiner about his views on new media, how to engage people who do not identify with established parties, the current political landscape, and what he is doing to assure the success of his party after leaving the Biden administration.
“I’m using my voice best I can in traditional media and new media, and I’m going to continue having conversations with neighbors, with voters, talking about how we could have a better way,” Buttigieg told the Washington Examiner. “I don’t know what that means for me, politically or professionally, a long way from making any decisions about that, but I know that’s what I need to be doing right now.”
Ezra Klein of the New York Times labeled Buttigieg the “Democratic Party’s acknowledged best-of-class communicator” last year, just weeks before the Democrats suffered a severe defeat in November.
Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump made several visits on podcasts and forums popular among young people, one of which being Joe Rogan’s podcast.
“It’s certainly shadow primary season. Pete’s strategy so far is on point,” influencer and CEO of Girl and the Gov Sammy Kanter told the Washington Examiner.
“He’s going on podcasts, and with that, he’s meeting Americans where they are on both sides of the aisle. He’s interacting with creators and taking the online sphere in a serious manner, as it should be. And he’s excelling in that space because he is able to explain complex happenings in an approachable way,” Kanter continued.
In April, Buttigieg cleared the path for a 2028 presidential campaign after announcing that he would not run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat.
Breaking: Barack Obama Just Confirmed in Washington, D.C. — Details Emerging
In a development that is quickly drawing attention across the country, Barack Obama has just been confirmed in an announcement made in Washington, D.C., according to early reports. The confirmation, which occurred only moments ago, has sparked widespread interest as officials and observers wait for more details about the situation.
Initial information suggests that the announcement was made during a briefing in the nation’s capital, where officials confirmed the update involving the former president. While the full context of the confirmation is still unfolding, the news has already begun circulating rapidly through political circles and media outlets.
Barack Obama, who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017, remains one of the most influential po
litical figures in modern American politics. Any official confirmation involving him tends to generate immediate public and media attention, both domestically and internationally.
Sources close to the situation say additional statements may be released soon, which could clarify the nature of the confirmation and what it could mean moving forward. Analysts are already speculating about possible implications, though officials have urged the public to wait for verified information.
For now, the announcement from Washington, D.C. marks a developing story. More updates are expected as authorities and representatives provide further details in the coming hours.
In a dramatic new court filing, Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed that at least 25 alleged accomplices connected to Jeffrey Epstein quietly reached “secret settlements” related to abuse allegations — yet were never criminally charged.
The filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues that newly discovered evidence reveals previously undisclosed agreements between plaintiff attorneys and multiple men who, according to Maxwell, could be considered co-conspirators in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
“New evidence reveals that there were 25 men with whom the plaintiff lawyers reached secret settlements — that could equally be considered as co-conspirators,” Maxwell wrote in documents filed without the assistance of her legal team.
Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges. In her latest submission, she maintains that prosecutors failed to disclose crucial information that could have altered the outcome of her trial.
“None of these men have been prosecuted and none has been revealed to me,” Maxwell wrote. “Had I known, I would have called them as witnesses.”
She further contends that the alleged concealment of these settlements — along with what she describes as jury bias — deprived her of a fair trial. According to Maxwell, if jurors had been informed of what she characterizes as “collusion” between government officials and civil attorneys, they may have reached a different verdict.
The filing also claims that four former employees of Epstein were referenced in both a prior non-prosecution agreement and the federal indictment he faced before his death in 2019, yet none of those individuals were ultimately charged.
The possibility that additional accomplices remain unidentified has reignited public scrutiny surrounding the Epstein case. Questions persist about whether the names of those who allegedly reached private settlements will ever be fully disclosed — particularly as federal authorities continue reviewing millions of pages of case-related documents.
To date, only Epstein and Maxwell have faced federal criminal charges directly tied to the sex-trafficking network. Others associated with Epstein have confronted civil lawsuits but have denied wrongdoing.
Among the most high-profile figures accused in civil proceedings was Prince Andrew, who was sued by Virginia Giuffre over allegations of sexual abuse when she was a minor. Prince Andrew has consistently denied the claims and later reached a financial settlement without admitting liability.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that hundreds of attorneys are reviewing an estimated 5.2 million pages of documents connected to the Epstein investigation. Officials say the review process is complex and requires extensive redactions to protect victims’ identities.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in December that the review is an “all-hands-on-deck” effort, emphasizing that victim protection remains a top priority even as pressure mounts for greater transparency.
It remains unclear whether the 25 men referenced in Maxwell’s filing negotiated any agreements with federal prosecutors or whether their settlements were strictly civil in nature. Legal experts note that civil settlements do not automatically shield individuals from criminal liability — though non-prosecution agreements can.
Maxwell’s filing is widely viewed as part of her broader legal strategy to challenge her conviction. Whether the court will grant further hearings or consider the alleged new evidence remains to be seen.
The renewed claims have once again thrust the Epstein scandal into the national spotlight, raising persistent questions about accountability, transparency, and whether all those involved in the long-running abuse network have truly been brought to justice.
As document reviews continue and appeals move forward, the case remains one of the most controversial and closely watched criminal sagas in recent American history.
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