Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said he will not seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, distancing himself from early speculation over who may pursue the White House after President Donald Trump’s second term.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sen. Josh Hawley has ruled out a campaign for president in 2028, giving an unequivocal response Tuesday when asked whether he intended to compete for the Republican nomination after President Donald Trump’s second term.
“No, I have no intention of doing so, period,” Hawley told the Washington Examiner in an interview published Tuesday.
The statement puts Hawley outside the group of Republicans publicly leaving open the possibility of seeking the presidency as discussion of the party’s post-Trump leadership begins well ahead of the 2028 election.
Hawley, a second-term Republican senator from Missouri and former state attorney general, declined to expand on his decision or offer an assessment of Republicans whose names have surfaced in early discussion of the next presidential contest.
Speaking at the Capitol, Hawley said he had “no insight” into the prospective 2028 Republican field and indicated that his attention remained on elections occurring before then.
His categorical denial follows speculation surrounding Hawley because of his national profile in the Senate and his position within the Republican Party.
Hawley currently serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
Although Hawley has closed the door on a presidential campaign, other nationally prominent Republicans have taken different approaches when asked about 2028.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who competed for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, has not ruled out another campaign. Cruz has said he intends to address questions about a possible 2028 candidacy after the 2026 midterm elections rather than make a decision now. Recent reporting has similarly documented Cruz declining to settle the question before the midterms.
Vice President JD Vance has also faced repeated questions about whether he could seek the presidency.
Vance has not announced a 2028 campaign and has instead emphasized his current responsibilities in the Trump administration.
In January, Newsmax reported that Vance downplayed discussion surrounding a potential presidential bid and said his focus was on advancing Trump’s agenda during the administration’s current term.
Hawley’s position is more definitive.
Rather than postponing a decision or declining to discuss whether he might eventually run, the Missouri senator said directly that he has no intention of seeking the Republican nomination.
The declaration comes as political attention gradually begins shifting toward the Republican Party’s future beyond Trump, even as the 2026 midterm elections remain the immediate electoral contest confronting the party.
Hawley’s name had appeared in some early discussions surrounding 2028, including among anti-abortion activists and Republican strategists examining possible candidates who could shape the party after Trump. Earlier reporting this year identified Hawley as one Republican receiving attention in those discussions.
His Tuesday statement rejects that possibility, at least as a matter of his stated intentions.
Hawley did not use the interview to endorse another Republican, assess the potential field or identify who he believes should succeed Trump as the party’s presidential nominee.
Instead, his answer was limited and categorical: He does not intend to run.
That distinguishes Hawley from Republicans who have declined to make a firm decision about 2028 while keeping their attention on the current administration and the approaching midterm elections.
For now, Hawley says his own name should not be included among those planning a campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
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