CBS News’ Robert Costa knows Washington, D.C. inside and out.

Thus the national election correspondent, who spoke at Fresno State this week, is the perfect insider to explain Donald Trump’s victory, his cabinet choices, and the next Democratic presidential primary.

“This is such a prism of the country,” Costa said of Fresno. “Trade now is such a front and center debate in Washington and across the country. Immigration, all of the issues that affect people who run farms here, run businesses, work at nonprofits, or work at a university. These are issues that are dominating the debate in Washington.”

The 2028 Democratic Presidential Race

Democrats “face a reckoning” after the 2024 presidential election, Costa said. “Democrats at this point are trying to figure out who they are. Is this the party of the worker or not? The working person, based on my reporting, is the key voter in this country right now.”

Traditional Democratic constituencies — such as labor and minorities — did not show up for Kamala Harris in the numbers that carried Joe Biden to the White House.

However, the party’s 2028 nomination race starts with a big decision from Harris.

“She is someone who has to make a choice in the coming year or two. Does she want to run for governor of California in 2026, or does she want to focus on running for president in 2028? Or perhaps she wants to do something else and move on from politics. Her decision will be a real factor in how others calculate their own political careers,” Costa said.

The race will “unfold silently” in the next two years, Costa said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is a contender. Costa said he knows that Newsom has White House ambitions based on his presence earlier this year in New Hampshire. Costa was there, too, and interviewed him. Newsom’s ability to engage with voters may outweigh his liberal California reputation, Costa said.

Other possibilities Costa cited: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), and Cory Booker (New Jersey); and Govs. Wes Moore (Maryland), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), and Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan).

“The defeat makes the playing field quite wide,” Costa said. “It’s going to be a battle royale for the Democrats in the coming four years.”

Costa said he was not surprised about Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter. He said controversial pardons often happen at the end of a presidential term.

A Nomination Fight?

Costa said many of Trump’s picks for his cabinet and other posts, such as Kash Patel for FBI director, are “disruptors.”

“That has already caused consternation among more traditional voices in Washington who would like to see Chris Wray, the the current director, stay in that job,” Costa said. “Trump has such support inside the Republican Party that he’s going to find a lot of goodwill on Capitol Hill, in the Senate to get these nominations through. And some Democrats might even end up supporting some of his nominees.”

Trump will need to win key Republican senators such as Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Susan Collins (Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) to see his most controversial picks get through the Senate, Costa said.

Costa also noted that Trump is “comfortable with power” and “that comfort is reflected in who he’s nominating for these key positions.”

Costa: Never Assume

As a Washington-based reporter, Costa can’t count how many cell phone numbers he has.

“I believe viewers and readers in this day and age, and always, want reporters to hold politicians to account, but also at the same time, listen to voters and to elected leaders so that they fully understand the story of our time,” Costa said.

That includes speaking with those in power and those on the periphery.

Costa said he wakes up every day and tries to figure out, “What’s the story.” His motto is “assume nothing.”

“If there’s any problem in the media, I would argue it’s not necessarily a political bias, but it’s a bias toward conventional wisdom, toward conventional thinking,” he said.

“If we only have assumptions and conventional thinking guide our political coverage, then we’re not open to fresh ideas about who could actually be in power or who could be a change maker or who could be a new leader.”