NEW YORK — More than six potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates spoke at the National Action Network's annual conference in New York, courting African American activists while criticizing President Donald Trump. The four-day event, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, drew a roster of party figures testing their appeal with a constituency that has long been central to Democratic primary politics.

"Everybody's talking about who may run for president," Sharpton said. "I want to first know what their vision is now, and what they're doing now. So I've invited all of the people that could run," he added.

The conference's speaking program includes Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, and Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is also scheduled to speak.

All of the 2028 prospects at the conference criticized Trump. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 candidate who is running for reelection as governor this year, blamed Trump for a nationwide surge in antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry. "There's more chaos, there's more cruelty in our world," Shapiro said.

"Even if we disagree on health care policy or tax policy or whatever, we should at least, at a baseline, have an honorable president of the United States. We do not have that right now," he added. Shapiro, who was a finalist in Harris's 2024 vice presidential running mate selection process, said the midterm elections should be a national referendum on Trump and on what is happening in Washington, D.C. He also said he supports diversity, equity and inclusion programs and that police must be held to account if they do something wrong.

Khanna said progressive candidates in 2028 could make greater inroads with Black voters by speaking to the Civil Rights tradition and offering a vision rooted in Black history. "A 2028 contender needs to articulate and run on a new moral vision for America," Khanna said.

The 2028 presidential primary season is not expected to begin in earnest until after the November midterm elections. In the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Buttigieg was the top vote-getter in the Iowa caucuses and finished second in the New Hampshire primary, but Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary with strong support from Black voters and went on to secure the nomination, defeating Sen. Bernie Sanders. Harris was the Democratic Party's nominee for president in 2024.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will not attend the conference due to a previously scheduled family commitment, a spokesperson for Newsom said. The spokesperson said Newsom met with Sharpton earlier in the year.