Former Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed on Friday that she is “thinking about” running for president in 2028 at the 2026 National Action Network Convention – in her most open public remarks to date about her political future.

“Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about it,” Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton when asked about whether she plans to run another White House campaign. Harris was the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2024 election.

Her comments came amid mounting speculation about what she may do next with her political career after she released a campaign memoir in late 2025 and embarked on a subsequent book tour.

Harris is also set to appear at Democratic Party events in four Southern states this month, CNN previously reported.

While Harris said in an August 2025 interview with CBS’ Stephen Colbert that she did not “want to go back in the system,” she hinted later in the year that she could make another bid for the White House, telling the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “I am not done.”

On Friday, Harris received a warm welcome at the progressive organizing conference steeped in civil rights history, prompting loud chants of “run again,” which briefly interrupted her remarks at one point.

“I am thinking about (running again) but let me also say this. I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States,” Harris said. “I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room. I know what the job is. And I know what it requires.”

She went on to lay out the “work that needs to be done” as she considers what would be a third presidential campaign, with a crowded potential field taking shape.

“I’ve been traveling the country the last year, I’ve been spent a lot of time in the south and many other places. And the one thing I’m really clear about also, is the status quo is not working, and hasn’t been working for a lot of people for a long time,” the former nominee said.

Since leaving the White House, Harris has continued to be an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.

In her sit-down with Sharpton, Harris condemned Trump’s foreign policy actions, particularly the war with Iran, which she called a “choice.”

At Friday’s event, the former vice president went on to argue that Trump’s increasing bitterness toward some allies, particularly NATO countries, “is harmful to the people of America, not to mention people in allied nations around the world.”

She added that the impact of Trump’s foreign policy “keeps me up at night.”

The gathering of Black African American and progressive leaders at the annual conference in New York served as a staging ground for potential 2028 presidential contenders, several of whom sat down with Sharpton to test-drive their message.

Kicking off the proceedings on Wednesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — one of the party’s young, progressive stars — quipped about his ineligibility to run for president as a non-natural-born citizen.

“It is such a pleasure to be here, and I joked with the reverend that I’m proud to announce that I am not running for president in 2028, which I know that some people may be considering when they come to this conference,” Mamdani said.

The potential candidates – including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Rep. Ro Khanna, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Harris – fielded personal questions and touted local successes. Another potential contender, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, is set to address the conference on Saturday.

Shapiro promoted his work to repair the I-95 bridge in his state, echoing his “GSD” (get s*** done) slogan; Moore grappled with the fight over redistricting in his state, warning Republicans, “don’t play with me”; and Buttigieg criticized the TSA staffing shortages at airports amid the ongoing DHS funding stalemate, reflecting on his own experience leading the Transportation Department.

The conflict with Iran also created a throughline for the conversations, each Democrat laying into the Trump administration’s decision making and leadership. Gallego, Moore and Buttigieg, each veteran, grounded their criticism in personal terms.

“I know exactly what it feels like to get on that gray-tailed military transport plane and be on your way into a war zone, and how important it is to be able to believe that the people who sent you there only did that because they had no other choice,” Buttigieg said. “You do not put American troops’ lives on the line unless you have no other good alternative.”

Meanwhile, with speculation growing about their plans, every member of the potential 2028 field was emphatic about their commitment to Democratic successes in the 2026 midterms. “In these midterms, we’ve got four competitive US congressional races that I’m going all in on, so we can make Hakeem Jeffries the speaker of the House,” Shapiro declared.

Sharpton attempted to cut out the speculation, closing every interview by directly asking each would-be contender about their plans for the next White House race. But he received a series of artful dodges.

“We have an opportunity to have a real debate in our party about what we stand for. About what our affirmative vision is,” Shapiro said. “And what I can tell you for sure is that I want to be a part of that debate.”

Pritzker was similarly noncommittal. “My answer is, I don’t know what I’ll be doing after. I hope I win reelection after, but I can tell you this, I’m going to fight like hell to elect a Democrat in 2028,” he said.

Getting a loud reaction from the crowd during his turn, Moore relished the speculation. “We’re gonna send a message in Maryland. But I’m telling you, while I am – I tell people, you know, I’m hungry, but I’m not thirsty,” the Maryland governor remarked.

Finally, Sharpton asked Buttigieg, “When you ran for president, you met me, and we went up for a well-publicized lunch at Sylvia’s Restaurant, in Harlem. Just so my calendar is clear. Should I be reserving a table at Sylvia’s? Are you – are you gonna run again?”

“You save me a seat, I’ll be there,” he replied.

CNN

United States President, Donald Trump, has ordered a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear programme during peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Trump said on Sunday that negotiations held in Islamabad were largely successful, noting that “most points were agreed to,” but insisted Tehran remained firm on its nuclear ambitions.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”

Tribune Online reports that talks ended without a deal as US Vice President JD Vance departed Pakistan after meeting with an Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The meeting marked the highest-level engagement between both sides since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it,” Vance told reporters.

In separate posts, Trump criticised Iran for failing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route responsible for transporting about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil.

“They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their ‘mine droppers,’ have been completely blown up. They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance?” Trump said.

The waterway has remained effectively closed for weeks following a bombing campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran more than six weeks ago.

On Saturday, the US military confirmed that two warships had passed through the strait as part of a mine clearance operation.

AFP

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Saturday that the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran has succeeded in “crushing” the Islamic republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Netanyahu’s comments came as Iranian and US officials held two rounds of face-to-face talks in Pakistan in a bid to end the Middle East war, with a third round expected later on Saturday evening or Sunday, Iranian state television reported.

“We have succeeded in crushing the nuclear programme, and crushing the missile programme,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement, adding that the war against Tehran had also weakened Iran’s leadership and its regional allies.

“We have reached a situation in which Iran no longer has a single functioning enrichment facility.”

Netanyahu said the United States and Israel had prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb by launching a war in June 2025, followed by the current campaign that began on February 28.

He said the latest war was launched after intelligence indicated that the now deceased Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei had sought to expand the country’s nuclear and missile programmes even after the June 2025 war.

“He sought to bury both missile production and nuclear production deep, deep beneath a mountain, in a way that even B-2 aircraft could not reach. Once again, we could not stand by. We acted,” Netanyahu said.

“Most of its missile production capacity has disappeared. They still have missiles, they still have stockpiles, but it is shrinking.”

He said there were “enormous achievements” in the war effort.

“They are reflected in this weakened regime, which is now even seeking a ceasefire,” he said.

Netanyahu added that, for decades, Iran’s leadership and its allies had threatened Israel.

“They wanted to strangle us, and (now) we are strangling them. They threatened us with annihilation, and now they are fighting for survival.”

On Lebanon, Netanyahu said the country had approached Israel regarding a potential peace deal.

“In the past month, it has reached out several times to begin direct peace talks,” Netanyahu said.

“I have given my approval, but on two conditions: we want the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations.”

On Friday, Lebanon’s presidency said that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the potential start of negotiations between the neighbours.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing since March 2, two days after the start of the Iran war, following rocket fire by the Lebanese armed group at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei.

Since then, Israel has killed at least 2,020 people in Lebanon, including 248 women, 165 children and 85 medical and emergency personnel, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Israel carried out its largest air attack this week on Lebanon since March 2, which it says left hundreds of Hezbollah fighters dead.

Even as Netanyahu spoke, around 800 Israeli protesters rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against the wars in Iran and Lebanon, accusing Netanyahu of attempting to derail the ceasefire with Iran.

“In Bibi, we don’t trust,” read one banner, using Netanyahu’s nickname, as protesters chanted: “No to endless wars, no to a government of death”.

Protester Martin Goldberg said Netanyahu was not in favour of a ceasefire with Iran.

“What happened immediately after the ceasefire in Iran, Israel launched one of its largest attacks in Lebanon, which in my opinion, was an attempt to try and sabotage the ceasefire with Iran,” the 61-year-old demonstrator told AFP.

“Israel is pretty openly saying that they’re not interested in a ceasefire in Iran, and they don’t want a peaceful solution in Iran.”