To Win in 2028, Democrats Need a Message on Corruption
Originally published in The Hill on July 21, 2025.
The 2028 election is more than 1,200 days away, but Democrats ranging from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) are already positioning themselves for a White House campaign. It’s far too early to know exactly what issues will be top of mind for voters — or who the nominee will be — but history suggests that one topic that is likely to be important is that of perceived corruption in government.
A continuing theme for President Trump over the last decade since his first campaign was to “drain the swamp.” In each of his campaigns, Trump’s message on corruption met a sympathetic electorate.
According to the American National Election Study, a major national political science survey conducted every two to four years, the percentage of Americans who believe most government officials are corrupt has seen a notable increase since the start of the 2000s.