Stephen A. Smith: “Dead Serious” About Presidential Bid

‌Stephen A. Smith just dropped some serious news that’s got everyone talking. The ESPN host isn’t playing games about a possible 2028 presidential run.

Smith sat down with ABC News’ Linsey Davis and made it crystal clear: he’s considering a White House bid because powerful people keep approaching him about it.

“I’m considering it in all seriousness, because I’ve had very, very serious people approach me about it,” Smith told Davis in the interview.

The First Take host explained that billionaires and elected officials have been hitting him up about exploratory committees. That’s not casual conversation anymore. Smith stressed he never wanted to be a politician. But when people with real influence start talking about presidential runs, you listen.

“I have no choice,” Smith said during an earlier ABC interview in April 2025. “I’ve had elected officials coming up to me. I’ve had folks who are pundits come up to me. I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees.”

Even his pastor jumped in the mix. The religious leader told Smith not to close the door on anything.

“Don’t close the door on this,” Smith recalled his pastor saying. “You never know what God has in store for you.”

Smith registered as an Independent voter. He’s been hammering both political parties on his shows for years. The sports commentator sees himself as someone who could shake up the political establishment.

He wants to debate career politicians on national TV.

“I’m dead serious about wanting to go up against those politicians,” Smith explained. “Not be a politician, but wanting to go up against them on a debate stage to call out what they have done to our country, to harm us. It would be my pleasure.”

Smith thinks the fact that people want a sports analyst to run for president shows how broken the Democratic Party is.

“That’s why somebody who’s a sports analyst, for crying out loud, is in the daggone on polls,” Smith said. “It’s not somebody big upping in me. It’s an indictment against a Democratic Party that doesn’t have leadership. It doesn’t have a vision.”

The ESPN personality has been catching heat for his comments about Black women in politics. He personally apologized to Rep. Jasmine Crockett after his criticism potentially created an environment in which Trump attacked her.

Smith also went after Joy Reid after the former MSNBC host criticized him. He said Reid’s show got canceled because her ratings dropped 47 percent.

“If your numbers drop 47% and you are Black in this culture that we’re living in, did you really expect something else to happen?” Smith asked.

Smith loves his current job hosting shows on ESPN and his own podcast. He makes millions talking sports and culture. Still, the presidential talk has shifted from hypothetical to real consideration. Smith said the responsibility that comes with his platform forces him to think bigger.

Smith has confirmed that the 2028 presidential filing deadlines won’t be issued until late 2027, giving him two more years to decide.

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