The senator famous for sipping margaritas with an alleged MS-13 gang member now wants your vote for president.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, the Maryland Democrat who became a household name after jetting off to El Salvador to meet alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, has confirmed he is exploring a 2028 White House bid. As The American Tribune reported, Van Hollen revealed the news on NBC's Meet the Press, telling host Kristen Welker he has been "kicking the tires" on a potential campaign. That phrase. He used it roughly forty seven thousand times.
Welker kept asking him point blank if he was running. Van Hollen kept responding with the verbal equivalent of a guy at a car dealership who won't commit to a test drive. "I'm kicking the tires." Are you running? "I'm testing the waters." So that's a yes? "Democrats need to stand for something." Sir, this is a yes or no question.
The senator confirmed he has already visited New Hampshire and Iowa, two states that serve as the traditional launching pad for presidential hopefuls. He was careful to note he was "invited" to both places, as if someone just happened to send a casual dinner invite to two of the most politically significant states in America. Sure, Chris. Totally normal vacation spots.
Van Hollen built his case around the idea that his party blew it in 2024 by failing to offer voters a real economic vision. He pointed out that Americans were so frustrated with the current system that they elected "a convicted felon" in Donald Trump. His solution? More churning. He literally said he supports the "great deal of churning" happening inside the Democratic Party. Nothing says "vote for me" quite like enthusiastically endorsing chaos within your own organization.
The senator argued that Democrats have not answered the fundamental question of how they plan to build an economy that actually serves working people. Which is a fair point. But it does lose a tiny bit of its punch when the guy making it is best known nationally for his Central American cocktail hour with a man accused of gang membership.
Welker, to her credit, tried one final time to pin him down. "So bottom line, you're mulling a potential run in 2028?" she asked. Van Hollen responded by saying he wants to be part of the debate about what Democrats stand for. He then circled back to his favorite phrase about tire kicking and water testing, completing what may be the most noncommittal interview in the history of television.
So where does this leave us? A senator with one of the most memorable foreign trip photos in recent political history is now touring early primary states, refusing to say he is running while doing everything a person who is running would do. The 2028 Democratic primary is already shaping up to be absolutely wild, and we are not even close to kickoff. At this rate, Van Hollen will have kicked every tire in America before he actually announces anything.
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