MUNICH – At the Munich Security Conference, a key annual gathering for transatlantic security discussions, Alex Soros, scion of the philanthropic empire founded by his father George Soros, held a meeting with a group of prominent Democratic figures, signaling a potential focus on the 2028 US presidential election. The meeting, documented in images posted on Soros’ social media, included California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senators Mark Kelly and Chris Murphy, and former Democratic leaders Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.
Whereas the Open Society Foundations have long been a major donor to the Democratic Party – contributing $128 million to Democrat candidates through their Democracy PAC in 2022 and $67.5 million in 2024 – the individuals present at the Munich meeting do not require immediate financial support. Clinton and Pelosi are no longer in elected office, Newsom is term-limited as governor of California, and Kelly and Murphy are not up for re-election until 2028. This suggests the discussion centered on longer-term strategic planning for the upcoming presidential contest.
Newsom has increasingly positioned himself as a potential contender for the Democratic nomination in 2028. He has actively engaged in contrasting his policies with those of former President Donald Trump, including signing clean energy agreements with the UK and Ukraine during the Munich conference. During a climate change discussion, Newsom remarked that he would be “gone in three years,” a clear reference to the end of a potential second Trump term and an implicit offer of an alternative to European leaders wary of a return to the former president’s policies. He has also employed a social media team to directly challenge Trump online.
Senator Mark Kelly also used the Munich forum to criticize Trump’s foreign policy, accusing him of weakening NATO and diminishing US security. Less than a day after meeting with Soros, Kelly told the BBC he would “seriously consider” a presidential run. Both Newsom and Kelly have previously received financial support from the Soros family; George Soros spent $1 million to defend Newsom during a 2021 recall attempt and contributed $10 million to his California redistricting campaign last year, a campaign that could potentially unseat six Republican House members.
Alex Soros assumed control of his father’s philanthropic empire in 2023. Since then, the Open Society Foundations have shifted their focus towards American elections, with Alex Soros stating a demand to match the political spending of opposing forces. According to Forbes, Soros controls a $7.5 billion fortune and spent over $1 billion on political causes in 2024, making him one of the most significant political donors in the United States.
Soros has publicly signaled a preference for Newsom as a potential candidate, praising him as the “real star of the 2026 World Economic Forum” and urging world leaders to emulate his approach. Notably absent from Soros’ Munich gathering was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whom Soros previously identified as a “great” potential leader for the Democratic party. Ocasio-Cortez spoke at the Munich Security Forum regarding the “rise of populism,” but did not attend Soros’ meeting. Her absence may reflect a strategic decision by Soros, potentially due to Ocasio-Cortez’s recent description of Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “genocide,” which could alienate pro-Israel donors.
As of February 17, 2026, current polling data indicates that former Vice President Kamala Harris leads the field for the 2028 Democratic nomination with 38% of the vote, followed by Newsom at 13% and Kelly at 3%. Soros has also contributed nearly $3 million to the super PAC supporting President Biden and Harris in 2024, and his Open Society Foundations have donated $4.5 million to People For the American Way, the organization managing Harris’ recently relaunched social media presence.
Soros’ financial influence extends to a broad range of Democratic figures, ensuring a degree of leverage regardless of the eventual nominee. However, Newsom’s growing international profile, highlighted by Soros’ public endorsements, suggests he is currently considered the most promising investment in the upcoming presidential race.
