Skip to content

PoliticsDeveloping

Sen. John Kennedy says he is considering a 2028 presidential run

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets, mostly right-leaning (60%).

12 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is considering a run for president in 2028. Kennedy, 74, said his current plan is to seek reelection to the Senate, but that he would consider a White House bid “if a bunch of goobers run” for the GOP nomination and he believed he could do a better job, or if he felt he could no longer be effective in the Senate. He quoted The Judds’ 1985 song “Why Not Me?” and said he has not made a decision. Vice President JD Vance is widely seen as an early favorite for the nomination.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Kennedy said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is considering running for president in 2028.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Kennedy said his current plan is to run for reelection to the Senate in 2028.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. Kennedy said he would consider running if “a bunch of goobers” entered the Republican field and he thought he could do a better job.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. Kennedy quoted The Judds’ song “Why Not Me?”, asking “Why not me on a rainy day?”

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  5. Kennedy is 74 and would be among the oldest presidents if elected in 2028.

    Reported byLeftRight

  6. The New York Post reported that Kennedy also defended Sen. Tom Cotton against President Trump’s criticism over blocking the Sunshine Protection Act.

    Reported byRight

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left-side headlines foreground Kennedy’s own quote about considering a run “on a rainy day,” framing the story as a human-interest moment from the interview.

    Republican senator John Kennedy is thinking about running for president: ‘Why not me on a rainy day?’
    The IndependentLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline centers on the conditional ‘goobers’ quote and treats the story as straightforward political news, adding context about Kennedy’s age relative to past presidents.

    Sen. Kennedy teases presidential bid 'if a bunch of goobers run'
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    6 outlets · 1 opinion

    Most right-side outlets lead with the ‘goobers’ quote as a straight news hook, while PJ Media frames it as celebratory opinion praising Kennedy’s humor and the New York Post adds an angle about tension with Trump over Tom Cotton.

    Sen. Kennedy teases presidential run
    The Center SquareRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    colorful Republican Senator

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    Trump's wrathVerbal sharpshootergoes after Trumpgaggle of off-putting leftists

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    Trump's wrathMore neutral: Trump's criticism

    Dramatizes Trump’s reaction with an emotionally loaded word rather than describing the disagreement factually.

    Tom Cotton from President Trump's wrath over his blocking of the Sunshine Protection Act.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Verbal sharpshooterMore neutral: Sen. John Kennedy

    A flattering label that colors the reader’s view of the senator before the facts are presented.

    WASHINGTON — Verbal sharpshooter Sen.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    goes after TrumpMore neutral: criticizes Trump

    Frames Kennedy’s remarks as an attack rather than neutrally describing disagreement or criticism.

    Kennedy floats 2028 prez bid if ‘a bunch of goobers run’ — as he goes after Trump

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    colorful Republican SenatorMore neutral: Republican Senator

    Characterizes the senator with a subjective personality label rather than a neutral description.

    Louisiana’s colorful Republican Senator John Kennedy turned to a 40-year-old country song to announce his potential…

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Dehumanizing label

    gaggle of off-putting leftistsMore neutral: relatives with differing political views

    Dismissively characterizes a group of people based on political affiliation rather than specific facts.

    No, not the MAHA guy, and not, thank God, one of the gaggle of off-putting leftists that the Secretary of Health and Human Services is unfortunate enough to…

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    most riotously funny man in the SenateMore neutral: known for his humor

    An evaluative, subjective superlative presented as fact.

    …who may be running for president this time is none other than the most riotously funny man in the Senate, Sen.

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • the ‘rainy day’ quote
  • his stated reelection plans
  • the folksy, quotable style of his remarks

Leaves out

  • Kennedy’s defense of Sen. Tom Cotton against Trump’s criticism

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the conditional nature of a run
  • his reelection focus
  • historical context on presidential age

Leaves out

  • Kennedy’s comments on Trump and Tom Cotton

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Sen. Kennedy teases presidential bid 'if a bunch of goobers run'

    GOP Sen. John Kennedy (La.) said Sunday he would run for president in 2028 “if a bunch of goobers” seek the Republican nomination. During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Louisiana Republican said his plans “right now” are to run for reelection to the Senate in 2028. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

6 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • the ‘goobers’ quote
  • his reelection intentions
  • (PJ Media) his personality and wit
  • (New York Post) friction with Trump over Cotton
See the 7 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Center SquareRight

    Sen. Kennedy teases presidential run

    (The Center Square) — U.S. Sen. John Kennedy has never been particularly shy about calling politicians he dislikes “goobers.” Now, the Louisiana Republican says if there's a presidential field crowded with candidates he considers “goobers” he might consider running himself.

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    Sen. Kennedy floats 2028 prez bid if ‘a bunch of goobers run’ — as he Loaded verb“goes after Trump”Frames Kennedy’s remarks as an attack rather than neutrally describing disagreement or criticism.More neutral: criticizes TrumpDisagree with this highlight?

    Verbal sharpshooter Sen. John Kennedy kept the door open to a 2028 presidential run and defended Sen. Tom Cotton from President Sensational language“Trump's wrath”Dramatizes Trump’s reaction with an emotionally loaded word rather than describing the disagreement factually.More neutral: Trump's criticismDisagree with this highlight? over his blocking of the Sunshine Protection Act.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • One America NewsFar Right

    ‘If a bunch of goobers run’: Senator Kennedy considers 2028 presidential bid

    Louisiana Senator John Kennedy floated a potential 2028 presidential run during an interview with NBC’s "Meet the Press."

    Read at One America News (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Sen. John Kennedy: I'm Thinking About Running for President

    Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said he is thinking about running for president in 2028. Host Kristen Welker said, “Let me ask you, the list of potential 2028 candidates continues to grow, as you know and

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Sen. John Kennedy says he's weighing GOP presidential bid in 2028

    Sen. John Kennedy said Sunday he may run for president in 2028.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    John Kennedy teases 2028 presidential run if ‘a bunch of goobers’ enter race

    Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said Sunday that he is considering running for president in 2028 if a “bunch of goobers” enter the field but emphasized that he is focused on reelection during the next cycle. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • PJ MediaFar RightOpinion

    Now THIS Would Be Fun: Kennedy Is Considering a Run for President!

    Here’s some good news: Kennedy is thinking about running for president!

    Read at PJ Media (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    NBC News, Oct 4, 9:55 AM EDT

  • Center

    1 day 2 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 5, 12:09 PM EDT

  • Right

    47 min later

    Its first report, Oct 4, 10:43 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NBC NewsLeftOct 4, 9:55 AM EDT
  2. Washington ExaminerRightOct 4, 10:43 AM EDT
  3. The Washington TimesRightOct 4, 11:11 AM EDT
  4. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 4, 11:20 AM EDT
  5. One America NewsFar RightOct 4, 7:54 PM EDT
  6. New York PostRightOct 4, 8:12 PM EDT
  7. The Washington PostLeftOct 5, 8:30 AM EDT
  8. The IndependentLeftOct 5, 10:41 AM EDT
  9. The Center SquareRightOct 5, 11:18 AM EDT
  10. The HillCenterOct 5, 12:09 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page