In early August 2025, I wrote a report on how Kamala Harris was collapsing in the polls for the 2028 election after she decided not to run for governor (click here to read that report). If you read the report, you saw that I had named Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) as a dark horse candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
I have long believed he is a dangerous candidate, as he has always presented himself as a more moderate Democrat publicly, even though his record tells a different story. But most people don’t dig that deep, which is exactly why I believe he is so dangerous.
This week, several outlets reported that Ron Klain, Joe Biden’s former Chief of Staff and campaign guru, was working with Khanna to prep him for a run at the White House.
I truly wish this were a prediction I got wrong because, as I stated in that report, this is a dangerous man.
Klain is not someone who fiddles around with campaigns to collect a check. When he gets behind someone, he does so with a purpose, and his track record speaks for itself:
When Klain puts his name behind a candidate, the Democrat establishment follows suit.
The Democrat Party is looking for a new name, one not associated with Harris or Biden in any way. Governor Gavin Newsom also appears to be facing serious challenges in terms of donors, which is why backing Khanna is the smart play for Klain.
When I saw Khanna on Fox News, usually painting a moderate picture, it worried me because I know his background. The moderate he was pretending to be is not the real Ro Khanna, but that was all part of the plan.
People on both sides of the aisle are looking for an alternative to the constant noise, and he was coming off as someone who could calm the waters and get the country united again.
So, why is Klain reportedly getting on board?
First, Khanna navigates all three lanes of the current makeup of the Democrat Party rather easily. He has worked with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the clear leader of the socialist movement in the party. He represents CA-17, Silicon Valley, which means he has all the big donors in his backyard. He has also presented himself as a “progressive capitalist,” a claim the other contenders cannot make.
Second, he has crossover appeal due to his Fox News presence, as well as his recent partnership with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to get the Epstein files released. Khanna even made social media pleas to voters during Massie's primary race. Between the campaign and the bipartisan legislative efforts with Massie, he gives the illusion of a moderate Democrat whom independents and moderate Republicans might get behind.
Third, he has cleverly been making moves while all the “clear” contenders are squabbling. Newsom and Harris are putting on a clown show, slapping themselves on the back while Khanna has been touring battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan to push his “New Economic Patriotism” message. He has criticized his party for not backing the Laken Riley Act. He has appeared at HBCUs, and he has even hit the early voting states.
In other words, he has quietly put in the work to position himself without anyone in the party really noticing. In fact, I would wager to say that most of the media has been ignoring him as well.
Well, that was until recently, when he made a hard left turn on some policies and his open backing of Graham Platner in the Democrat Senate primary race for Maine.
This, in essence, changes everything.
There is really only going to be room in this race for one new face, which puts the AOC candidacy at risk. She has been making moves as well, and she would have Chakrabarti’s powerful network behind her, but I don’t think that network is ready to take on Klain and the establishment just yet.
The right move for AOC is to get elevated to the Senate, take a leadership role, and then make a run for the White House.
The Rust Belt also gets put back on the table for Democrats. His manufacturing agenda is right in line with most Republicans, so it will be tough to attack him on this front.
Finally, with Klain falling in lockstep with Khanna, it sends the message that the establishment is looking elsewhere for answers. Klain did not choose Harris, Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, or even Governor Josh Shapiro. He chose a 49-year-old California Democrat who does not fear conservative media and who has a ton of big-money donors already lined up.
My readers know I don’t throw out predictions lightly, and I always grade them, win or lose. I called this particular case because the Democrat Party is ripe for being revamped by new players, mostly because of what happened with Joe Biden.
For those who are neck-deep in this every day, the signs were all there, but few had the guts to make the call simply because everyone figured Harris was the no-brainer, and everyone else would simply bow out to give her a free run, with the exception of Newsom and some smaller players.
Khanna is a very smart man, and he knows that if he is going to strike, the conditions are perfect for him to make a serious run in 2028.
And as I stated in my previous report, I fear few of the main players for the 2028 election, but Khanna and Shapiro are two people I think could dominate an election if the economy is still struggling and we still have these wars hanging over the head of the GOP. And Khanna, to me, is, by far, the scarier of the two.
Remember, right now, Vance is the runaway favorite for the GOP, but moderates and independents have made it clear they want someone new in there, even if it means crossing over to the other side.
I really don’t care where he is polling right now; for me, he is the candidate to watch in 2028.
