Stephen A Smith says he’s not interested in running in the 2028 Presidential Election. Speaking with TMZ about the trending idea, the long-time ESPN host said he loves talking about politics but isn’t qualified for an official run for office. The update comes after The New Yorker’s Jay Caspian Kang ran a piece titled, “Stephen A Smith For President,” last week.
“I ain’t trying to run for office or anything like that. I love talking politics, I love talking about things not just sports. If the American people want to sit up there and say ‘Yo we want Stephen A. to run’ I’m not going to be mad at that,” Smith told TMZ. “I don’t know what the hell they’re thinking. I ain’t qualified, but if you want to go ahead and entertain it, you can go ahead and entertain it.” He further noted that Donald Trump’s success has proven anybody can be president. “He’s inspired all of us because if he can be president, a lot of us could be president,” he remarked. Check out his full discussion about the idea below.
Will Stephen A Smith Run For President In 2028?
Following his interview with TMZ, it appears Smith won’t actually be campaigning, but that hasn’t stopped him from sharing his opinion on the Democratic Party numerous times as of late. Speaking with The New Yorker for Jay Caspian Kang’s aforementioned piece, Smith called for a cleansing of the party. “I’m qualified to be a hell-raiser,” Smith told the outlet. “I’m going to bring the rain. Nobody is safe with me. Not a Democrat. Not a Republican. No one.”
If Smith did entertain a run, early polling suggests he could be quite successful. A McLaughlin & Associates poll from earlier this month, placed him in a similar range to that of former VP Candidate Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. He reacted to the poll with a meme on X (formerly Twitter). spurring further gossip about the possibility of him running.
