Senior Democrats have relaunched National Security Action to assist potential 2028 presidential candidates and unite national security experts for a future Democratic administration. Maher Bitar was named to lead the group as it prepares for the 2028 primary season and beyond [1].
Founded in 2018, National Security Action previously influenced Democratic foreign-policy messaging during the 2020 election and helped staff much of President Joe Biden's national security team. The group aims to continue shaping Democratic foreign policy debates while serving as a hub for foreign policy specialists and campaign staffers [1].
The organization plans to host retreats and conduct polling to guide the party’s approach on complex foreign-policy issues ahead of 2028. “The group will think about the pipeline of people who might work on campaigns and populate a Democratic administration, and then the ideas that can form a progressive or Democratic foreign policy going forward,” said Ben Rhodes, a senior figure in the group. Rhodes added that he expects “the next Democratic administration should look quite different [from the Biden administration]” [1].
The Democratic Party remains divided on major foreign-policy questions, including positions on Israel, tariffs, China, and regulation of artificial intelligence [1]. A Pew Research survey showed that unfavorable views of Israel among Democrats increased from 53% in 2022 to 80% recently. That shift follows the Hamas attack on Israel that began the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. Most Senate Democrats (40 of 47) voted last month to block arms sales to Israel, reflecting internal party tensions over the issue [1].
National Security Action’s effort to unify Democrats around foreign policy gains urgency as the party prepares for the 2028 presidential primary season. The group’s activities and influence are expected to intensify as candidates begin outlining their national security priorities.