Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) urged Democrats to “let it rip” and sharpen their message Wednesday at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network convention, while leaving the door open to a potential presidential run.
Speaking during an onstage interview with Sharpton, Khanna was pressed on whether he would consider a White House bid in 2028. Khanna did not rule it out, instead outlining what he described as a forward-looking economic and political vision.
“I believe I offer two things for why I will consider it to America. One is, I represent the economic future… And secondly, I fundamentally believe… that we need to move beyond a colonial model of the world,” he said.
He added, “Maybe I have something to offer and contribute with humility to our nation at this moment.”
The comments mark one of Khanna’s clearest signals yet that he is at least open to a 2028 bid, even as he emphasized Democrats’ immediate focus should remain on retaking control of the House.
“Our first focus has to be to make Hakeem Jeffries Speaker of the House,” Khanna said, referring to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “You can rest assured, Mike Johnson is not going to be swearing in any Democratic president in 2029.”
Khanna also framed the stakes of the next election cycle in stark terms, arguing that control of the House will determine whether Democrats can effectively challenge President Donald Trump and reshape the party’s direction heading into the next presidential race.
At the same time, he urged Democrats to move away from overly cautious, poll-driven messaging and instead embrace a more direct, conviction-based approach rooted in economic and moral arguments.
“We ought to be running on a moral vision of America,” Khanna said. “Speak with conviction, and let the chips fall where they may. I believe people will respond to that.”
“We need more moral clarity in our party and conviction in our party,” he added. “We need to let it rip a little more.”
Khanna also waded into one of the party’s most divisive foreign policy debates, condemning U.S. support for Israel’s military campaign.
“We need to speak out against the genocide that took place in Gaza, and we need to stop providing Israel with military weapons to kill civilians,” he said, arguing that Democrats should apply the same human rights standards abroad that they advocate at home.
Khanna also highlighted his ongoing push for accountability in the case involving disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that has drawn bipartisan attention in Congress. He said lawmakers are continuing efforts to force testimony from key figures and release additional records tied to Epstein’s network.
“We’re going to get any person who went to Epstein’s island to appear,” Khanna said. “And we need to start prosecutions against some of these rich and powerful people who raped these young girls.”
Khanna, who has worked alongside Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on the issue, said the push would continue regardless of political pressure, arguing that the case reflects broader concerns about unequal accountability in the justice system.
“This group of people, rich and powerful, who think the law doesn’t apply to them, we have to stand up for one system of justice,” he said.
Khanna delivered the remarks to an audience central to Democratic primary politics, repeatedly emphasizing the role of Black voters and the civil rights movement in shaping the party’s future while framing his economic agenda as an extension of that legacy.
“I believe the black community has been the conscience of America,” he said, adding that he approaches that coalition “with humility” and a focus on expanding economic opportunity.
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He pointed to efforts to connect historically Black colleges and universities with major tech companies as a model, arguing that access to artificial intelligence jobs and capital is critical to closing long-standing wealth gaps.
“We need to democratize the AI revolution,” Khanna said.
