While less than six months have passed since the 2024 presidential election, sports media star Stephen A. Smith appears to already be looking ahead to 2028.
Smith, who recently signed a lucrative contract extension with ESPN, often delves into political conversations on his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
During a February edition of his podcast, Smith addressed the idea of launching a bid for president a few years from now.
“I wanted to put this to bed once and for all. … I have no intentions of running for the president of the United States of America,” Smith said on an episode of his podcast that premiered on Feb. 17.
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But in April, the longtime “First Take” host suggested recent events prompted him to change course.
STEPHEN A SMITH SAYS HE’S STRONGLY CONSIDERING PRESIDENTIAL RUN, HAS BEEN APPROACHED BY POLITICIANS
“Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I’m officially leaving all doors open,” Smith wrote on X on April 7.
Chiney Ogwumike, who spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks and currently works at ESPN, highlighted a specific skill that could work to Smith’s advantage should he ultimately run for political office.
“I think he would be the first to say he would not necessarily want to run, but let me tell you this: I hope he makes the debate stage,” the ESPN analyst told Front Office Sports. “I think he will more than hold his own. There is nobody that is more prepared for a presidential debate format than Stephen A., in my opinion.”
During the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas in early April, Smith made it clear that his decision to run for office would ultimately hinge on the state of the nation in a year or two and whether the data at the time would indicate he had “a legitimate shot to win.”
“If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it’s an absolute mess and there’s legitimate reason to believe – whether it’s via exploratory committees or anything else – that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States. I am not going to rule it out, and I’m not playing.”
President Donald Trump recently called into NewsNation’s town hall on Wednesday as Smith appeared on the network. During the call, Trump expressed support for a potential presidential bid from Smith, saying the broadcaster is “a good guy.”
“Stephen A., he’s a good guy,” Trump said. “He’s a smart guy. I love watching him. He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him.
“You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I say, ‘They have no chance.’ I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates. And I will tell you, I’d love to see him run.”
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