Mark Kelly eyes 2028 White House run while fighting Trump demotion threat
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., has confirmed he will "seriously consider" a run for president in 2028, opening the door to a potential White House bid.
Kelly’s comments to the BBC Feb. 16 came as he remains locked in a legal and political battle with the Trump administration.
In an interview, the retired Navy captain and former astronaut made clear he has not yet decided whether to launch a campaign but confirmed the idea is under consideration.
"I have people talk to me about it all the time, but we have an election in 2026 that I'm really worried about. We've got to get through that first. I will make a decision."
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Kelly emphasized that any choice would involve discussions with his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, their daughters and his identical twin brother, also a former astronaut.
"You know, with my wife, Gabby, with my two daughters, and my brother, I have a twin brother who was also an astronaut. Think about for a second how this would affect him. We're identical twins," he said.
"So you know, I'll seriously consider this, because we are in some seriously challenging times right now," Kelly added.
Kelly’s comments came within days of two major developments in his standoff with the administration.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a federal judge blocked the Pentagon from demoting him Feb. 12 over a controversial video about "illegal orders."
A grand jury declined to indict him and five other Democratic lawmakers on seditious conspiracy charges.
The dispute is over a 90-second video Kelly recorded with fellow Democratic lawmakers reminding U.S. service members that they are not obligated to follow "illegal" commands.
"Our laws are clear," Kelly said in the clip. "You can refuse illegal orders."
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President Donald Trump had labeled the video "seditious behavior" and suggested the lawmakers be arrested.
The Justice Department sought indictments, but a grand jury refused to bring charges.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth had also moved to initiate retirement-grade determination proceedings against Kelly, potentially reducing his rank as a retired Navy captain and cutting his retirement pay.
Kelly sued, arguing the action was unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon agreed to temporarily block the demotion, writing that the administration had likely violated Kelly’s First Amendment rights and warning against "shrinking the First Amendment liberties of retired service members." Hegseth has vowed to appeal.
"This will be immediately appealed," Hesgeth wrote in the post. "Sedition is sedition, ‘Captain.’"
In the Feb. 17 interview with the BBC, Kelly also reflected on his career.
"I don't know if I would be the best person in this job. I am a lot different than most of these other 100 senators there are," he said.
"I'm one of the very few engineers. I'm the only person with a graduate degree in engineering in the United States Senate. I've got combat experience that's kind of rare," Kelly explained.
"I spent 25 years in the military. I didn't start out in some state legislature somewhere. I don't think of myself as a politician. I'm a Navy pilot who was so fortunate and so lucky, in fact, that I had the opportunity to fly this incredible spaceship, you know, four times and back."
Kelly also struck a note of humility about a possible White House run.
"I never thought I'd find myself here. So I will obviously think about this. It's a serious decision. I just haven't made it yet," he added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Kelly's office for comment.