It’s official: Presidential book season, at least for the Democrats, is upon us.
In the last three weeks, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania made waves with a memoir that includes a provocative retelling of the 2024 vice-presidential search process, while also introducing himself as a family man deeply rooted in his Jewish faith.
My colleagues Laurel Rosenhall and Shane Goldmacher reported on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s soon-to-be-released book, which focuses on his upbringing and tries to challenge stereotypes of the Californian as a silver-spooned figure of privilege.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut also announced an upcoming book, and Senator Cory Booker’s publisher unveiled the details of a tour for the New Jersey Democrat’s book release.
Taken together, these are among the clearest signs yet that the Democratic shadow primary is kicking into a higher gear. (Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, for his part, has a book due out in June, while former Vice President Kamala Harris released one last year.)
None of those Democrats, of course, have announced that they’re running for president in 2028, and some of them still have re-elections to get through this year. But all are seen as potential contenders. And releasing a book and going on an accompanying national tour are among the surest signs of someone’s interest in higher office.
At the moment, it’s quieter on the Republican side, though we have more dated material from people who could run in 2028. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas both released books before their 2016 presidential bids. And Vice President JD Vance famously wrote “Hillbilly Elegy,” a 2016 book that propelled him to national fame before he transformed from a Trump critic into a devoted ally.
For politicians, a book tour often becomes an excuse for soft-focus television interviews, gauzy magazine coverage and cozy chats with friendly moderators.
Shapiro, who has found receptive audiences while stopping at places like Manhattan’s 92nd St. Y and the Jewish Community Center in Newton, Ma., was asked on ABC’s “The View” whether, as an “incredibly skilled, well-liked politician,” he would run for president if “this country needs you.” (He demurred.)
And Vogue has already described Newsom as “embarrassingly handsome, his hair seasoned with silver, at ease with his own eminence,” and also “lithe, ardent, energetic, a glimmer of optimism in his eye; Kennedy-esque.”
A book tour can also be a reason to catch up with big donors across the country, and a way to introduce oneself to a broader audience — or, in some cases, to generate headlines and settle scores.
A successful book rollout can propel a would-be candidate to new levels of celebrity, something Barack Obama experienced when he released “The Audacity of Hope” in 2006.
But there are risks, too, as Hillary Clinton learned in 2014, when her high-profile book tour was marred by gaffes and rough headlines. I was struck by this piece from Politico Magazine from the time, in which top political strategists (including Republicans who have since essentially become Democrats) offered tough reviews.
Some described her as “defensive and cautious,” suggested she lacked an affirmative message, or argued that her performance showed that she might, in fact, be vulnerable in a primary contest. While Democrats at the time downplayed the tea-leaf reading of Clinton’s book tour, the moment turned out to be revealing.
Have you been following the Shapiro and Newsom rollouts? Any initial impressions? Are there political books you’re excited to read or intend to avoid? Tell me about it — I’m at [email protected].
number of the day
30 percent
That’s the share of Republicans who say they believe the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics have gone too far, according to a new poll from Ipsos. Ruth Igielnik, The Times’s polling editor, explains.
The 30 percent figure among Republicans is a notable increase of 10 percentage points over a poll conducted partially before — and in the field when — federal agents killed a Minneapolis protester, Alex Pretti.
But the vast majority of Republicans still said they thought enforcement was about right (45 percent) or had not gone far enough (22 percent).
The Republican divide falls along MAGA lines. Nearly half of Republicans who describe themselves as “non-MAGA Republicans” say they think Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been too aggressive in its deportation efforts, according to a Fox News survey.
Alarm over Trump’s election remarks
President Trump’s recent comments about wanting Republicans to “nationalize” the country’s voting — which he doubled down on — have exacerbated worries among state election officials who see Washington as newly hostile to them, my colleague Nick Corasaniti reports.
“The things that have been said publicly, frankly, are quite appalling,” Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson of Utah, a Republican, said recently of the administration’s efforts to suggest that election officials are doing a bad job of securing the country’s voting system.
ONE LAST THING
A video trolls a candidate’s football coaching career
There’s plenty of upside for former athletes or coaches who run for political office: name recognition, a folksy familiarity with sports, less risk of embarrassing photos of your athletic skills.
But a losing record can open you up to an especially stinging kind of political attack.
A gleeful new spot from the Democratic Party of Georgia paints Derek Dooley, the former football coach who is running in the state’s Republican Senate primary race, as a loser, literally.
The spot begins by borrowing from one of Dooley’s own ads.
“In football, we have a saying: Your film is your résumé,” Dooley says in the clip. The video then pivots to a montage of unflattering scenes from his time as head coach for the University of Tennessee, highlighting various losses and showcasing clips of Dooley himself saying things like, “Didn’t get it done.”
It ends by again borrowing from Dooley’s own words: “With results like that in the profession I came from,” he says, adding an expletive, you go “to the bench.”
Ruth Igielnik, Taylor Robinson and Ama Sarpomaa contributed reporting.
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Katie Glueck is a Times national political reporter.
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