Stephen A. Smith Says He Might Run for President in 2028

It seems 2028 couldn’t get stranger fast enough. ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith, best known for screaming about basketball on weekday mornings, is now teasing a potential run for President of the United States. In a bizarre segment on ABC’s This Week, Smith claimed that billionaires, elected officials, and even his own pastor have been urging him to consider launching a campaign.

“I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others, have talked to me about exploratory committees,” Smith said, while insisting he's still happy cashing checks at ESPN. “I’m not a politician,” he added, “but... I have no choice.”

If that sounds like a publicity stunt it probably is. But Smith took it a step further by name-dropping potential Democrat competitors like Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, then slamming both parties as disgusting. The irony? The man who claims he’s “not a politician” just made the most politician-style move possible: flirting with a campaign while blaming everyone else for the state of the country.

Smith even fired back at former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who recently said Smith was one of the only celebrity names that might pose a threat to a Trump candidacy assuming a hypothetical third-term run could somehow happen.

Here’s where Smith went off the rails:

• He accused the Right of trying to “circumvent” the 22nd Amendment, conveniently ignoring the Left’s full-throated efforts to reshape the Supreme Court, eliminate the Electoral College, and shred the First and Second Amendments.

• He framed himself as a populist outsider, while still parroting Democrat talking points and railing against conservatives.

• He positioned himself as a moral compass, lecturing Americans about constitutional fidelity while lacking even the most basic qualifications to run the country.

Let’s be clear: this is the same Stephen A. Smith who once claimed on-air that the NFL was racist for not letting Colin Kaepernick make a comeback, only to walk it back after public backlash. He’s made a career out of inflammatory, often incoherent commentary and now he wants to run for president?

At least he’s honest about one thing: he hopes someone more qualified steps up. Because if America is at the point where a cable sports commentator becomes a serious presidential option, we’re in deeper trouble than we thought.

Still, this moment is telling. It reflects the vacuum of leadership on the Left a party so rudderless it now entertains the idea of media personalities leading the ticket. The Democrats have no bench, no ideas, and no real future without dredging up celebrities to grab headlines.

So while Stephen A. Smith may enjoy the attention, Americans should ask themselves one simple question: Would you trust a man who gets paid to argue about the NBA to handle China, Iran, and the economy?

Didn’t think so.

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