Hawley rules out 2028 White House run

Clear Facts

• Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told the Washington Examiner he has “no intention” of running for president in 2028.
• President Trump is constitutionally barred from a third term, opening the field for 2028 GOP candidates.
• Hawley stressed that religious conservative voters remain essential to Republican victories at every level.

Sen. Josh Hawley has closed the door on a 2028 presidential bid, telling the Washington Examiner he has no plans to seek the White House. The Missouri Republican made his position clear in direct terms.

“No, I have no intention of doing so, period,” Hawley said.

With midterm elections approaching, Hawley said Republicans should focus on keeping their majorities rather than speculating about future presidential contests. “I have no insight to offer you on 2028, one way or another,” he added.

“I don’t know who will run or what will happen. We need to get through these elections first.”

President Donald Trump, serving his second term, cannot run again due to constitutional limits, leaving the 2028 field open. Hawley, re-elected in 2024, remains focused on his Senate work and the issues facing his state.

Hawley also highlighted the critical role religious conservatives play in the Republican coalition. “You cannot win anything without them,” he said.

“You cannot win a primary without them. You cannot win a general election without them. And I would caution anybody who thinks that you can do without them in our voting coalition — you will have a voting coalition of like 10% without religious conservatives, without evangelical Protestants, without conservative Catholics, without conservative Orthodox Jews. So, I’d be real careful about trying to marginalize that coalition.”

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