Top Democrats eyeing potential 2028 presidential runs hope to use the Munich Security Conference this weekend to burnish their foreign policy credentials, elevate their profiles, and convince an anxious group of European leaders that there is life after President Donald Trump.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are among those set to speak at the prestigious security forum in an effort to articulate an alternative foreign policy to Trump’s aggressive interventionism.
The full slate of speakers has not yet been announced. The event typically features heads of state, Cabinet officials and several Republican and Democratic U.S. senators. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading the U.S. delegation.
Democrats are aiming to demonstrate robust opposition to Trump effectively discarding long-standing international alliances, of which he has long been dismissive, and assure European nations that they can still depend on the United States once Trump leaves office. They have also rejected his “Donroe Doctrine,” a revival of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which stated U.S. opposition to future European interference and colonization in North and South America. Trump has taken it a step further, asserting the U.S. has the right to take control of resources in the Western Hemisphere.
But reassurances from Democrats, who do not control any branch of government, are unlikely to assuage Europeans’ concerns. A key focus of the annual security forum is whether Europe can stand alone, speak with one voice and rely far less on the U.S.
“It’s important that the Senate have a voice and Democrats present an alternative foreign policy voice from what is coming out of the administration,” Gallego said in an interview. “The ‘America first’ attitude is making us America last.”
Trump has argued that the U.S. has shouldered too much of the security burden and has not gotten enough out of its alliances.
The conference typically features lawmakers who hold leading positions on foreign policy committees, including Foreign Relations, Armed Services and Intelligence. Gallego does not sit on any of those Senate committees but has been seeking to elevate his profile as a potential 2028 presidential contender. (He served as a prominent member of the House Armed Services Committee during his time in the House, as well as a House subcommittee on intelligence and special operations.)
As a governor, Newsom has not been pressed extensively on foreign policy, but he has traveled widely abroad and sought to leverage California’s large economy to cooperate with foreign governments on climate. Ocasio-Cortez is not on the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee but does sit on the powerful Energy and Commerce and Oversight committees.
“I’m going to Munich with a simple message: California is a stable and reliable partner. In a moment of global uncertainty, our commitments don’t change with political winds,” Newsom said in a statement to The Post, adding California has upheld its commitments under both Republican and Democratic leaders. “That consistency matters. It builds trust, attracts investment, and strengthens mutual security.”
During Trump’s second term, Democrats hope to use the forum to emphasize the importance of U.S.-European security alliances like NATO as Trump has upended them and publicly insulted allies.
This year’s conference comes just weeks after the Trump administration seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation. Trump then announced plans to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry, asserting the United States had a “right” to a foreign country’s oil reserves.
Trump also recently clashed with European leaders in the most direct confrontation yet when he stated the U.S. planned to seize control of Greenland from Denmark. Trump ultimately backed off that threat but has angered European leaders in the weeks since, including a casual dismissal of NATO troops who fought alongside American troops in Afghanistan. Trump has also said he wants to make Canada the 51st state.
Democratic senators have been discussing how to stabilize relationships that Trump has frayed — especially with long-standing European allies. But Trump’s second term, in which he has focused far more heavily on foreign policy than his first term and eagerly used U.S. military force around the world, has forced European leaders to focus on how to position their countries so they are less reliant on the U.S.
“We’re doing our best to make sure the world knows the Trump worldview is not the dominant view of foreign policy,” Gallego said.
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