Opinion | Republicans who want to run in 2028 tiptoe around Trump

In politics, we often talk about how to win. But if you're a potential Republican candidate thinking about the future, these days you might be more focused on how not to lose.

That's especially the case for those who might want to run for president in 2028. And the most critical decision they face is how they handle the party's presumptive nominee this year.

While it may seem premature to consider 2028, it's clear that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu are already strategizing. Their unique approaches to former President Donald Trump — all based on the assumption that they will need the Trump base to win the primary — highlight the delicacy of the situation.

So far, none of these politicians has stood with Trump to give a full-throated endorsement or shown up at his trial to stand by him.

DeSantis made a quick exit to Florida just before the New Hampshire primary, announcing he was dropping out and endorsing Trump. However, he recently signaled to his donors that he would be fundraising for the former president.

One of the least inspiring endorsements came from Sununu last month during an interview, which my colleague Charlie Sykes aptly described as “painful and humiliating.”

Then there is Haley, who stayed in the primary the longest and, despite dropping out months ago, continues to get around 15% to 20% of the vote in nearly every Republican primary. She has not endorsed Trump, but I believe it is likely she will if she gets a prominent spot at the Republican National Convention in July.

Trust me, I get that no one wants to even think about 2028 while we are still six months away from the 2024 election. But the way that these three experienced pols handle the Trump question shows a lot about what they are thinking is the future of the GOP, and therefore of the country.

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This article was originally published on MSNBC.com