Former Secretary of State John Kerry would not rule out a 2020 run for president in an interview with CBS News, and said that he plans to stay politically active during President Trump’s administration.
In the interview with CBS News, set to broadcast Sunday, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee called talk about the next White House campaign a “distraction” from real political issues facing Democrats.
{mosads}“Talking about 2020 right now is a total distraction and waste of time,” Kerry tells CBS’s Margaret Brennan in the interview. “What we need to do is focus on 2018. We need to win back the confidence of the country to move in a better direction and to do it in sensible ways.”
“We are in a moment of crisis for our country. The world is in a moment of crisis,” he added.
Asked about his specific future plans, Kerry only hinted that he would remain an “activist” for causes he championed as secretary of State, such as the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris climate accords, both of which Trump has pulled the U.S. out of.
“I’m going to continue to be an activist,” Kerry says. “I’m going to continue to fight.”
Addressing his 2004 run, in which he lost to incumbent President George W. Bush, Kerry offers harsh words for his sex-scandal-plagued running mate, former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.).
“If you measure the qualities that you are looking for when you choose a vice president,” Kerry tells CBS, “it didn’t measure up. It wasn’t what we had hoped for.”
Democrats are expected to face a crowded primary field in their race to challenge Trump. More than a dozen current and former senators, governors and mayors are already said to be eyeing 2020 campaigns.