Senator Cory Booker is not waiting until 2028 to say what a lot of voters are already thinking.

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, the New Jersey Democrat was blunt about the state of his party, telling anchor Kristen Welker that the Democratic Party "has failed this moment" by getting too caught up in partisan combat and purity politics at the expense of a broader, more unifying vision.

"I'm proud of so many things that my Democratic colleagues are doing. But as a whole, our party has failed this moment. It's why I've called for new leadership in America," Booker said.

He also took a subtle but pointed shot at the Democratic tendency to center every fight around Donald Trump. "He shouldn't be the main character of our narrative right now," Booker said, arguing that the real challenges ahead, including the rise of AI, automation, and economic disruption, require a level of national unity that neither party is currently delivering.

"Our ability to find common ground has always been our greatest hope," he added.

On the question of 2028, Booker didn't close the door. "I am definitely not ruling it out. I'm running for reelection. I hope New Jersey will support me for another six years," he told Welker, confirming he is simultaneously pursuing a Senate seat and leaving presidential ambitions on the table.

For Black voters, who have historically been the most reliable bloc in Democratic primaries, Booker's critique lands at a complicated moment. The party is still sorting through the wreckage of 2024, with no clear frontrunner, no unified message, and growing frustration from a base that feels consistently mobilized but rarely rewarded.

Whether Booker's call for renewal resonates beyond political circles, or becomes just another Think Piece primary, remains to be seen.