President Donald Trump says he may not put his thumb on the scale when it comes to picking the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nominee.

«Probably, not necessarily,» Trump said in a post-midterm election interview on CBS’ «60 Minutes» when asked whether he will endorse in the primary to pick the next Republican nominee. «So I may or may not get involved… Maybe I’m better off not getting involved.»

Trump for months has touted the GOP’s «great bench» when asked about the likely Republican field of contenders aiming to succeed him in the White House.

The president reiterated that opinion after the GOP’s drubbing in last week’s midterm elections, as the party lost control of both the House and the Senate.

VANCE, CRUZ, DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP’S MIDTERM DISASTER AS 2028 BATTLE BEGINS

«I think we have an unbelievable bench of talent,» Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum in an Election Night interview on Fox News.. «We have a great group of talented people that I think would do a very good job.»

Early jockeying by the potential contenders began the morning after Election Day, with midterm post-mortems by Vice President JD Vance, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis grabbing plenty of headlines.

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«There’s going to be a robust field of candidates that test the waters in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina and that’s exactly as it should be,» Nicole Schlinger, a veteran Iowa-based Republican strategist, told Digital. «We’re going to get an opportunity to see which approach to our message of where we as the Republican Party goes next is going to resonate the most with the grassroots voters who are going to show up and kick tires.»

Here’s a look at the list of potential GOP presidential contenders in the burgeoning race to become the party’s next standard-bearer and impact which direction the party will head in a post-Trump era.

The vice president has long been viewed as the likely frontrunner for the 2028 GOP nomination and Trump’s heir apparent.

But the conventional wisdom from pundits is that the shellacking the GOP took in the midterms has transformed what may have been a Vance coronation into a more competitive and crowded nomination battle.

Vance kicked off the post-midterms debate last Wednesday morning with a roughly 600-word postmortem on X, blaming the war with Iran for the ballot box setbacks, in what some pundits viewed as an early pitch to eventually claim the MAGA and America First mantle.

Even with last week’s setbacks, Vance leads many of the early 2028 GOP presidential primary polls, has built a formidable fundraising network thanks in part to his role as the Republican National Committee’s finance chair, and has a team of advisers and aides that would form the beginnings of a presidential campaign.

Rubio, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, is doing his best to stay far away from the 2028 spotlight.

The former senator from Florida has long been floated by Trump and by pundits as a possible White House contender, and his support in early 2028 polls has soared. But Rubio has downplayed such speculation, and dismissed reports he was considering stepping down as secretary of state to lay the groundwork for a presidential run.

Rubio, who has said a handful of times over the past year that he’d back Vance if the vice president decides to launch a White House campaign, was asked about 2028 Monday while taking questions from reporters during a stop in France.

«I don’t know why you’re wasting your time,» Rubio said. «I’m not going to talk about 2028 any longer. I’m just not going to talk about 2028 anymore.»

The conservative firebrand senator from Texas, who was runner-up to Trump in the bruising 2016 presidential primaries, has made no secret that he may run for the White House again in 2028.

In his post-Election Day assessment, Cruz described the midterms as a «blue tsunami» and warned that his party had lost touch with voters, particularly in the Lone Star State.

«2026 was not simply a blue wave; it was a blue tsunami. It was an a– kicking,» Cruz wrote. «It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election. It was a Watergate-level repudiation.»

In a possible preview of the Republican primaries, Cruz has put plenty of daylight between himself and Vance over support for Israel, with Cruz spotlighting his support for the Israeli government.

Boosting Cruz if he decides to run would be his top-ranked podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, which has allowed the senator to build a massive grassroots network.

The term-limited conservative Florida governor, who finishes up in Tallahassee at the start of the new year, ran for the White House in 2024. He was an early frontrunner before being decisively defeated by Trump.

DeSantis held a news conference the morning after Election Day where he called the midterm election results «close to an extinction-level event for Republicans across the country.»

«Let’s just be clear, that is going to hurt — not just for the next two years… That is something that can reverberate for the next decade or more,» he said. «We knew it could be worse. I don’t think most of us thought it would be this bad.»

But DeSantis, who sat for a slew of media interviews in the wake the midterms, repeatedly highlighted that «the one state that was able to hold the line and withstand that is right here in the free state of Florida.»

While in 2028 buzz about DeSantis surged since last week’s election, the governor took to social media on Friday to blast a report that he was planning a 2028 run, emphasizing, «I have not reached out to anybody about running for anything. Just another pathetic attempt to garner clicks.»

Pence, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has said he has «no plans» to run for White House again in 2028.

But Pence has seen Advancing American Freedom, his policy and advocacy organization, dramatically expand over the past year.

And the Trump’s first vice president told Digital earlier this year that his fight to keep the Republican Party from drifting too far from its conservative roots and principles, amid a rise of populism in the GOP and big government creep during his Trump’s second administration, is «the calling of my life right now.»

Last week Pence argued, «The American people have rejected our party’s shift toward economic populism, and our majorities in Congress and state legislatures and governorships across the country paid the price.»

But he emphasized, «The conservative comeback starts today.»

The conservative term-limited governor, who finishes out his tenure in Atlanta in two months, is also seen as a potential White House contender.

In the wake of the midterm shellacking, Kemp spelled out a GOP vision centered on the «conservative principles of our party.»

«It’s time we get back to those principles in the months and years to come,» the governor wrote.

Youngkin, who instantly soared to political stardom after 2021 gubernatorial victory energized Republicans a year after Trump lost the White House and the Senate in the 2020 election, has consistently downplayed talk of a 2028 presidential campaign.

Instead, Youngkin has focused on his signature issue – education – by pushing to promote school choice programs through he recently formed national policy group Empowering America’s Parents.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Christie, who unsuccessfully ran for the 2016 and 2024 GOP nominations, is seriously mulling a third run for the White House.

«The midterms were a repudiation of the GOP and Donald Trump. It is time Republicans do the autopsy, learn the lessons, and move forward,» Christie, a vocal Republican critic of the president, argued in the days after last week’s election. «The Trump era is over. He has led us to the greatest losses this country has seen for a party since Richard Nixon.»

Christie has said he’ll decide on a presidential run in the next few months, telling Digital recently that «I think there’s a lot of flexibility on the timing.»

Bacon, a former Air Force brigadier general who has at times split with Trump on foreign policy and national security issues, decided against running for re-election this year and exits Congress in two months.

Bacon has said he is open to a potential run for president in 2028 or serving in a supporting role on another Republican candidate’s ticket.

Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, earned national attention as Trump’s White House press secretary for much of his first term

Sanders, who made history four years ago as the first woman elected Arkansas governor and last week won re-election by double digits, is increasingly seen as a potential presidential contender.

Cotton, who took a hard look at a 2024 GOP presidential run before deciding against launching a campaign, was just re-elected.

The senator, an Army veteran who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party and who was on Trump’s running mate short list two years ago, is also viewed as a potential White House hopeful.

Scott, a self-made multimillionaire and former two-term governor who’s the wealthiest member of the Senate, also mulled a 2024 bid before running for re-election.

Midterm election campaign trail stops in Iowa and New Hampshire – the two states that lead off the Republican presidential nominating calendar – sparked speculation that Scott was considering a 2028 campaign.

Kennedy, who’s up for re-election in 2028, has said he would consider a White House run instead of seeking another term in the Senate if he felt he could no longer be effective in the Senate or if he felt dissatisfied with the Republican presidential primary field.

Pompeo, a former four-term congressman from Kansas who served as CIA director and later as the top U.S. diplomat in Trump’s first administration, also took a hard look at a 2024 run before passing.

Asked last year about a 2028 bid, Pompeo told Digital, «We’ll see what the good Lord brings in a couple of years.»

He’s currently viewed by pundits as a possible contender.

The vocal Republican critic of the president who relentlessly pressed for the release of the Epstein files before losing his bid for renomination earlier this year to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein has said he’s «not ruling anything in or out» when it comes to a presidential bid.

Last week Axios first reported that a group of Libertarian Party operatives and anti-Trump MAGA defectors was urging Massie to run for the White House as a third-party or Libertarian presidential candidate.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom-signed California redistricting has scored at least a 2-for-1 consolidation of House Republicans.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., is projected to defeat fellow Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., in the 40th Congressional District race called Monday night, ostensibly forcing two incumbents to battle for one seat in the gerrymandered district.

«I want to congratulate Congressman Ken Calvert on his victory,» Kim wrote in a statement posted to X, sharply criticizing the map that effectively drew one of them out. «I wish him the very best as he continues representing our communities. It is unfortunate that Gavin Newsom’s political redistricting scheme forced two Republican members of Congress into this race.»

AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI

All told, Democrats’ redistricting and the so-called blue wave have more than cut the Republican California delegation in half, from nine seats (eight Republicans and one independent that caucuses with them) to just three or four (one race remains too close to call a week after the election).

Calvert, the longest-serving Republican in California’s House delegation, had declared victory days earlier while ballots were still being counted.

The district covers suburban communities in eastern Orange County and stretches into the Inland Empire in western Riverside County — southeast of Los Angeles.

California voters approved the Democratic-backed redistricting plan that combined portions of the two lawmakers’ previous districts into a single seat, setting up the rare intraparty contest in one of the state’s remaining Republican strongholds. Kim had represented the area since 2018. Calvert’s prior district, which included much of Riverside County and Palm Springs, was carved up and redistributed.

ALL THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE MEMBERS OUSTED FROM CONGRESS

Calvert is just one of three House Republicans in the state to survive thus far.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., and Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., won re-election in the 5th and 20th Congressional Districts. Those are heavily Republican stretches of the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills — rural agricultural and mountain country well inland, roughly between San Francisco and Los Angeles but far from both coastal metros in the western parts of the state.

Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., is clinging to a narrow lead of just 3,384 votes over Democratic challenger Tessa Lynn Hodge in California’s 23rd Congressional District, a High Desert seat in San Bernardino County that was rated Solid R by the Power Rankings before the midterms.

With ballots still being counted, Obernolte holds a just 1.6-point edge — about 50.8% to 49.2% — after winning the district by more than 20 points in 2024.

BLUE WAVE NEARLY SWALLOWED SOME OF AMERICA’S REDDEST STATES AS ELECTION DATA EXPOSES GOP’S CLOSE CALLS

Four other Republicans from California are leaving Congress in January 2027.

Rep. James Gallagher, R-Calif., lost to Democrat Mike McGuire by nearly 13 points, while Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., lost to Democrat Randy Villegas by nearly 37 points.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., did not seek re-election and his former seat flipped to blue under the new map, with Democrat Marni von Wilpert defeating Republican Jim Desmond by nearly 20 points.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., who left the Republican Party to try to keep his seat as an independent, lost by more than 17 points to Democrat Richard Pan.

CALIFORNIA VOTERS DECIDE WHO WILL SUCCEED NEWSOM IN CONSEQUENTIAL GOVERNOR’S RACE

Calvert against Kim was the lone GOP vs. GOP battle left by the new map.

«As an immigrant who came to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream, serving this nation in Congress has been one of the greatest honors of my life,» Kim wrote in her statement posted to X late Monday night. «It has been a privilege to give back to the community that has given me so much, and I am incredibly grateful to my family, our volunteers, supporters, and everyone who placed their trust in me throughout this campaign.»

Kim said she was proud of the record built «delivering results for our communities, working to secure our country at home and abroad, strengthen our economy, and make life safer and more affordable for California families.»

During the campaign, both candidates supported President Donald Trump’s agenda early on and later sought to project themselves as pragmatic conservatives.

DEM WINS TRUMP-TARGETED TEXAS DISTRICT IN REBUKE OF REPUBLICAN REDISTRICTING SHAKEUP

The race turned negative, with Kim citing ethics complaints and an FBI investigation into some of Calvert’s real-estate dealings. Calvert denied the allegations and was never charged.

Calvert highlighted a campaign donation Kim received from a Chinese American businessman who has faced scrutiny over alleged foreign influence. Kim returned the contribution and said she was unaware of the claims.

«With the passage of Prop 50, Californians were sold a bill of goods, allowing Gavin Newsom and his radical allies in Sacramento an unprecedented power grab to redraw the Congressional map and silence those who disagree with his extreme policies,» Calvert wrote on X a year ago.

«Gerrymandering districts because you don’t like the results of an election is politics at its absolute worst. 

«Governor Newsom pouring millions into this ballot initiative while crime goes unchecked, housing costs skyrocket, and taxes as well as gas prices remain among the highest in the nation shows he’s more interested in protecting his party’s stranglehold on the state than delivering on the issues families face. Despite the passage of Prop 50, I am determined to keep fighting for the families I represent in Congress.»

Calvert’s victory leaves him as the senior Republican voice in California heading into 2027.

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Miguel Martínez desistió de la apelación contra el fallo que confirmó las sanciones financieras de Estados Unidos, una decisión que deja vigente su inclusión en la Lista de Nacionales Especialmente Designados y Personas Bloqueadas de la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros (OFAC).

La Corte de Apelaciones de Estados Unidos para el Circuito del Distrito de Columbia aceptó el 20 de octubre la solicitud de desistimiento voluntario presentada por Luis Miguel Martínez Morales, más conocido como “Miguelito”, exdirector del Centro de Gobierno durante la administración de Alejandro Giammattei.

El expediente fue archivado y el tribunal ordenó emitir de inmediato el mandato para devolver la jurisdicción al tribunal federal que conoció el caso en primera instancia.

El retiro del recurso implica que se mantiene sin cambios la resolución de la jueza federal Beryl A. Howell, emitida el 24 de julio de 2026. En esa sentencia, la magistrada respaldó la decisión de la OFAC de conservar las medidas contra el exfuncionario guatemalteco.

El fallo que respaldó la permanencia de Martínez en la lista SDN

Martínez había acudido a la justicia estadounidense para cuestionar su designación en la lista SDN, en la que fue incluido el 1 de diciembre de 2023.

La medida bloquea los bienes e intereses patrimoniales que se encuentren bajo jurisdicción de Estados Unidos y prohíbe, salvo excepciones autorizadas, las transacciones con ciudadanos, compañías e instituciones financieras estadounidenses.

La jueza Howell concluyó que la OFAC contaba con una base razonable para mantener las sanciones. La resolución judicial estableció que la agencia no actuó de forma arbitraria ni caprichosa al rechazar la solicitud del exfuncionario para salir del listado.

El Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos señaló a Martínez por su presunta participación en esquemas de corrupción pública, entre ellos irregularidades en contrataciones estatales y solicitudes de pagos para facilitar la adquisición de vacunas rusas Sputnik V durante la pandemia de covid-19.

Según los señalamientos, el exdirector del Centro de Gobierno habría utilizado su posición para favorecer a determinadas personas en procesos de contratación pública. La OFAC también sostuvo que existieron maniobras para otorgar contratos fuera del sistema Guatecompras, con el objetivo de evitar los procedimientos de licitación.

Las acusaciones sobre la compra de 16 millones de dosis de Sputnik V

Uno de los puntos centrales del expediente fue la compra de 16 millones de dosis de vacunas Sputnik V por parte del Gobierno de Guatemala. La agencia estadounidense atribuyó a Martínez la solicitud de pagos irregulares vinculados con esa operación.

Howell examinó las partes públicas y reservadas del archivo administrativo. La jueza indicó que había información clasificada o sensible para las investigaciones que respaldaba las conclusiones de la OFAC sobre la supuesta participación del exfuncionario en hechos de corrupción.

La defensa de Martínez sostuvo que una agencia anticorrupción guatemalteca había investigado y desestimado los señalamientos relacionados con la compra de vacunas. También argumentó que no existía una acusación penal en su contra.

No obstante, el tribunal federal consideró que las decisiones de las autoridades policiales, fiscales o judiciales de Guatemala no determinaban la validez de una sanción administrativa estadounidense. El fallo no equivale a una condena penal, sino que avala la legalidad del procedimiento aplicado por la OFAC.

La información financiera que la OFAC consideró insuficiente

Durante el trámite administrativo, la OFAC envió dos cuestionarios a Martínez en 2024. La agencia solicitó información sobre ingresos, propiedades, cuentas bancarias, actividades económicas posteriores a su salida del Gobierno y vínculos con funcionarios guatemaltecos.

También pidió detalles sobre su participación en la compra de Sputnik V y sobre eventuales investigaciones del Departamento de Justicia o del Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI) de Estados Unidos.

Martínez afirmó que había respondido los requerimientos y entregado información financiera, bancaria y patrimonial. Sin embargo, la jueza señaló que el expediente mostraba que la documentación no permitió a la agencia establecer con claridad el origen de sus ingresos, la situación de sus bienes ni sus actividades económicas.

La OFAC cuestionó, además, que hubiera entregado declaraciones financieras públicas correspondientes a 2020 y 2021, sin presentar registros actualizados que respaldaran sus respuestas. Howell señaló que la falta de información suficiente, junto con la ausencia de medidas correctivas, respaldaba la decisión de mantenerlo en la lista.

El desistimiento deja firme la decisión de primera instancia

Martínez presentó la apelación el 10 de agosto, después del fallo de Howell. Con el desistimiento aceptado el 20 de octubre, la decisión de primera instancia quedó firme y las sanciones continúan vigentes.

La orden de la Corte de Apelaciones dispuso el archivo de la causa y la emisión del mandato conforme a la Regla Federal de Procedimiento de Apelación 41. El documento devuelve formalmente el caso al tribunal de distrito y permite ejecutar la resolución ya emitida.

La presentación para retirar la apelación no expuso los motivos de la decisión. Por ahora, Miguel Martínez permanece en la lista de sancionados de Estados Unidos por los señalamientos de corrupción que la OFAC vinculó con contrataciones públicas y la compra de vacunas Sputnik V.

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