On the Record: Tracking the 2028 Presidential Primary
From: Alidade
Re: On the Record: Tracking the 2028 Presidential Primary
On the Record: Tracking the 2028 Presidential Primary
Mar 2 - Mar 9, 20264 organizations564 posts tracked
A weekly analysis of social media posts from the personal accounts of possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidates generated by Alidade AI. Interested in a custom version of this newsletter focused on your industry or priorities? Reach out to team@alidade-ai.com.
Key Takeaways
- 1Democrats coalesced around a unified anti-Trump economic and foreign policy frame — illegal war, rising costs, billionaire tax cuts — signaling a disciplined midterm messaging strategy.
- 2Newsom's primary-state book tour, combined with multiple governors showcasing state records as national credentials, confirms the 2028 Democratic primary is already functionally underway.
- 3Khanna is carving a distinctive populist lane by fusing bipartisan Epstein accountability, anti-war activism, and AI policy into a single outsider brand.
Detailed Coverage
1
Democrats Blast Trump's Iran War as Illegal and Unauthorized
Multiple OrganizationsPolicy
Why It Matters
2
Newsom's Book Tour Sweeps Primary States in Overt 2028 Audition
Gavin NewsomMarketing & Outreach
Why It Matters
3
Candidates Demand More Than Noem's Firing, Eye Systemic DHS Reform
Multiple OrganizationsPolicy
Why It Matters
4
Democrats Unite on Coordinated Economic Attack Against Trump
Multiple OrganizationsPolicy, Marketing & Outreach
Why It Matters
5
Governors Showcase State Records as 2028 Calling Cards
Multiple OrganizationsPolicy, Marketing & Outreach
Why It Matters
6
Beshear and Moore Expand Reach With Empathetic, Values-Driven Outreach
Andy Beshear & Wes MooreMarketing & Outreach, Policy
Why It Matters
7
Khanna Merges Epstein Accountability and AI Policy into Populist Platform
Ro KhannaPolicy, Marketing & Outreach
Why It Matters
Week at a Glance
| Organization | Activity | Key Topics | This Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Buttigieg | medium | Economic criticismDHS accountabilityIran war opposition | Connected Trump's economic failures and war spending to billionaire tax cuts while urging deeper DHS reform beyond Noem's firing. |
| Andy Beshear | medium | National outreachCommunity valuesCoalition building | Visited Detroit with Gov. Whitmer, signaling national ambitions through an empathetic, community-focused brand. |
| Gavin Newsom | high | 2028 book tourIran war oppositionDHS accountability | Ran a multi-state book tour doubling as a 2028 audition while delivering the sharpest personal attacks on Trump across multiple fronts. |
| Gretchen Whitmer | low | Healthcare accessFree school mealsCoalition building | Promoted kitchen-table wins like free school meals and ACA subsidies while hosting Beshear in Detroit. |
| JB Pritzker | medium | Economic inequalityDHS accountabilityIllinois business growth | Sharpened the inequality contrast by juxtaposing Musk's wealth gains against Medicaid cuts and rising healthcare costs. |
| Kamala Harris | low | General messaging | Had minimal activity with only one post analyzed this period. |
| Rahm Emanuel | low | Economic messagingElectoral strategy | Framed Trump's jobs record as an electoral referendum, predicting voters will deliver fewer Republicans in November. |
| Wes Moore | medium | Civil rights outreachConsumer protectionNational ambitions | Traveled to Selma for an NAACP event and pushed consumer-protection legislation against algorithmic price manipulation. |
| Mark Kelly | medium | Iran war oppositionDHS accountabilityVeterans perspective | Leveraged his combat-pilot background to criticize Trump's unplanned Iran war and called Noem's firing insufficient given citizen deaths. |
| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | low | General messaging | Had minimal activity with only two posts analyzed this period. |
| Ro Khanna | high | Epstein accountabilityIran War PowersAI policy | Built a populist brand by securing bipartisan Epstein subpoenas, co-leading the War Powers Resolution, and unveiling an AI policy agenda. |
| Chris Murphy | high | Iran war oppositionCongressional authorityCorruption allegations | Led the most aggressive anti-war push, demanding an AUMF vote and flagging suspicious Polymarket bets before the Iran strike. |
| Josh Shapiro | medium | Pennsylvania economyHealthcare costsState record | Localized the economic attack on Trump by citing 100,000+ Pennsylvanians losing healthcare while touting $40B in state investments. |
| Cory Booker | high | DHS accountabilityICE reformSystemic change | Vowed to block ICE funding until the agency is held accountable, insisting one personnel change doesn't fix a broken system. |
Tracking 4 organizations • Generated by Alidade AIMar 9, 2026 at 12:05 PM
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