Report: Former AG Eric Holder Considering 2020 Presidential Bid
- 7 years ago
Former Attorney General Eric Holder may be considering a run for president in 2020, according to a Yahoo News report based on multiple sources.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder may be considering a run for president in 2020, according to a Yahoo News report based on multiple sources.
The piece goes on to explain that his motivation is largely being driven by “a sense of urgency to oppose Trump and restore what he regards as America’s best self.”
While Holder didn’t address his presidential ambitions in a recent interview with the news site, he did say, “Up to now, I have been more behind-the-scenes. But that’s about to change.”
He then cited his close relationship with former President Obama and his status as the first African-American attorney general before saying, “I want to use whatever skills I have, whatever notoriety I have, to be effective in opposing things that are, at the end of the day, just bad for the country.”
After serving in the Obama administration for about six years until 2015, Holder eventually joined the Washington, D.C.-area law firm Covington & Burling as a partner, notes the New York Times.
Earlier this year, he began re-entering the political arena by launching a group called the National Democratic Redistricting Committee which he described as a way to help Democrats gain more legislative seats and fight unfair redistricting.
Around a similar time, Holder was hired by Democratic lawmakers in California to represent the state in legal matters--for example, those involving immigration and environment-- against Trump’s conservative policies.
Despite these moves, political commentator Steve Benen points out in an MSNBC op-ed that, “...it’s entirely possible that [Holder is] taking these actions solely out of a sense of public duty, unrelated to any electoral ambitions he may or may not have.”
Benen also argues that “excessive speculation about a presidential election cycle that’s several years away is folly, especially in light of the significance of the 2018 midterms next year.”
That said, the field of Democrats who could theoretically challenge Trump in 2020 is already a crowded one; top potential candidates include former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, among others.
As such, Yahoo News acknowledges that “Holder would enter any Democratic primary contest as a long shot.”
Former Attorney General Eric Holder may be considering a run for president in 2020, according to a Yahoo News report based on multiple sources.
The piece goes on to explain that his motivation is largely being driven by “a sense of urgency to oppose Trump and restore what he regards as America’s best self.”
While Holder didn’t address his presidential ambitions in a recent interview with the news site, he did say, “Up to now, I have been more behind-the-scenes. But that’s about to change.”
He then cited his close relationship with former President Obama and his status as the first African-American attorney general before saying, “I want to use whatever skills I have, whatever notoriety I have, to be effective in opposing things that are, at the end of the day, just bad for the country.”
After serving in the Obama administration for about six years until 2015, Holder eventually joined the Washington, D.C.-area law firm Covington & Burling as a partner, notes the New York Times.
Earlier this year, he began re-entering the political arena by launching a group called the National Democratic Redistricting Committee which he described as a way to help Democrats gain more legislative seats and fight unfair redistricting.
Around a similar time, Holder was hired by Democratic lawmakers in California to represent the state in legal matters--for example, those involving immigration and environment-- against Trump’s conservative policies.
Despite these moves, political commentator Steve Benen points out in an MSNBC op-ed that, “...it’s entirely possible that [Holder is] taking these actions solely out of a sense of public duty, unrelated to any electoral ambitions he may or may not have.”
Benen also argues that “excessive speculation about a presidential election cycle that’s several years away is folly, especially in light of the significance of the 2018 midterms next year.”
That said, the field of Democrats who could theoretically challenge Trump in 2020 is already a crowded one; top potential candidates include former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, among others.
As such, Yahoo News acknowledges that “Holder would enter any Democratic primary contest as a long shot.”