Trump's criticizing Dem governors with 2028 in mind

President Trump is methodically disparaging potential Democratic presidential contenders, an early sign he plans to aggressively engage in the 2028 race to succeed him. Why it matters: Trump's legacy will be on the line in that election, and aides expect him to try to influence the shape of the campaign — and the 2026 midterms — through his robustly funded political operation and his push to define Democratic and Republican contenders.Zoom in: Trump has suggested that he thinks Vice President Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio are probably the Republicans with the best chance of succeeding him, but for now he's focused on defining Democrats.That's partly why he's been throwing politically charged darts at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — calling out crime, homelessness and illegal immigration in California, describing Chicago as a "war zone" of violence, and Baltimore as a "hell hole" of crime.None of the governors has said they're running in 2028 — Moore has even said he's not running — but that hasn't stopped Trump from casting them as far-out-of-the-mainstream liberals.Each of the governors has pushed back against Trump sending in National Guard troops to their cities, as he's done in Los Angeles and D.C. Trump's most recent broadside came last weekend, when he posted a meme depicting himself as Robert Duvall's character in "Apocalypse Now," with a caption that said: "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR" — a reference to his push to change the name of the Department of Defense.Between the lines: Even as some Republicans want him to turn more of his attention to fighting inflation, Trump is focused on hitting the governors on crime because he views it as a powerful wedge issue — and that portraying Democratic leaders as soft on crime will pay off for the GOP come election time.He likes the idea of creating a split-screen between the National Guard-filled streets of D.C. and Democrat-run cities he's called crime-ridden."It's too much fun for him not to bait them, and he's doing it very effectively," said American Conservative Union chair Matt Schlapp, a prominent Trump ally. "They're his foil. And they're a great foil to have."Trump also is going after each of the governors in strikingly personal terms.Trump has blasted Newsom — whom he's long derisively called "Newscum" — over everything from redistricting to Newsom's support for a high-speed rail project. He also has made fun of Newsom's hand gestures, saying, "There's something wrong with this guy."The president has called Pritzker "incompetent," "weak," "pathetic" and "crazy," and has mocked the governor for his weight, saying he "ought to spend more time in the gym."Trump has assailed Moore for wrongly claiming he'd been awarded a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan — which Moore has called an "honest mistake" — and suggested it was "the end" of the governor's political career. (Moore mentioned receiving a Bronze Star on an application for a White House fellowship in 2006 because his commander told him he would receive one, but the paperwork was never processed. Moore finally received it last year.)The other side: Newsom and his social media team have famously trolled Trump while casting the president as out of control — missives that Trump aides say he shrugs off because of what he sees as the political benefits of portraying California as out of touch with the rest of the country.Pritzker has labeled Trump a "wannabe dictator," and called Trump's weekend post threatening to send troops to Chicago "not normal."Moore countered Trump's claims about Baltimore by inviting the president to take a walk with him through the city's streets — an offer Trump rejected. The big picture: Republicans say Trump's offensive isn't just about 2028 — it's also about the 2026 midterms. They argue the GOP needs boogeymen to run against — a role that possible 2028 Democratic contenders can fill.Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee during Trump's first term, told Axios that putting a spotlight on possible 2028 Democratic contenders will show "how crazy they still are."For Democrats, focusing on the president is a good way for possible 2028 contenders to prove their anti-Trump bonafides.That's certainly been the case for Newsom, who's risen in polls of a hypothetical Democratic primary — and in some ways has become the face of the Democratic resistance.

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