Democrats, battered politically over border security, may approach President Trump seeking an immigration deal, longtime “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade said on “Pod Force One.” During the interview, he also named several lesser-known Republicans who could emerge as 2028 presidential contenders.
Kilmeade pointed out that Trump’s sweeping executive actions aimed at securing the US-Mexico border could be reversed if a Democrat wins the White House. That possibility, he argued, also gives the president an incentive to negotiate an agreement.
“We’re all gonna get whiplash, and it’s not good for anybody,” the Fox News personality told “Pod Force One” host Miranda Devine.
“So I really do think the president’s under pressure to … do a deal,” Kilmeade said.
“I think the Democrats don’t want to deal with the border anymore,” he continued. “They know it’s a loser for them … I think they’re going to tell the president, ‘You got the border. We’re going to need something for people here.’”
Kilmeade said bipartisan support could develop in the Democrat-controlled Congress next year for some form of legal status for migrants brought to the country as children, as well as for those who have lived in the US for many years without committing a crime.
“There’s things that can be worked out where Republicans gonna have to bite their lip and Democrats gonna have to bite their lip,” he added, describing the concessions both parties would need to make in any immigration agreement.
The Fox News host suggested that mandatory voter ID laws for Americans and “no citizenship” for illegal migrants could be among the issues Democrats might have to concede during negotiations with Republicans and Trump.
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“But the Democrats want it away,” Kilmeade continued. “They don’t wanna talk about it because it’s almost like, for them, it’s almost like men and women’s sports: They can’t win. So they want that issue to go away.”
Later in the interview, Kilmeade was asked about possible 2028 GOP presidential candidates. He named several Republicans who could challenge Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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“Josh Hawley’s gonna be out there,” he said of the Missouri Republican senator. “I think that’s gonna be pretty clear.”
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“Tom Cotton, I think his kids are too young, but I wouldn’t say he’s not gonna do it,” Kilmeade said of the Republican senator from Arkansas.
He also identified outgoing Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp as a possible option for Republicans who are “sick of” Trump.
Kemp has “a great track record, and if people feel as though they wanna turn the page on MAGA — I think you could honestly say he wasn’t anti-MAGA, but him and Trump didn’t get along — so that might be enough distance, because people tend to get sick of the person in power after two terms,” Kilmeade said.
“There could be somebody who comes out of nowhere too, like Donald Trump did,” he continued. “Is there anyone from the business world that wants to jump in? You know, I think [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] is still thinking about it.”
Kilmeade said Trump administration insiders believe RFK Jr.’s ultimate “goal” is to become president and that, if he runs again, he would do so as a Republican.
“He’s already took the slings and arrows and background checks from his family … what else can they throw at the guy?” he continued.
“He’s certainly got the leadership and the charisma,” Kilmeade said of the former Democrat who serves as Trump’s head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The “Fox & Friends” co-host also mentioned Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) as lawmakers who may not be prepared to run for president in 2028 but could be considering White House campaigns in future election cycles.
