Outspoken ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith is leaving the door open for a 2028 presidential run, citing public encouragement and spiritual guidance. In a Sunday interview on ABC’s This Week, Smith said he’s heard from “elected officials, pundits, donors,” and even his pastor, pushing him to consider entering politics.
“I have no choice,” Smith told Jonathan Karl, adding, “You don’t know what God has planned for you.” He explained that while he is “very, very happy” with his current career, the growing national dysfunction has made him pause. “If it has to come down to me, it is something I would consider.”
Smith named Democrats like Governors Wes Moore, Josh Shapiro, and Andrew Cuomo as more qualified presidential prospects, yet expressed frustration with their party’s lack of vision. “The Democratic Party… doesn’t seem to have any mission, any vision, any kind of leadership.”
He blamed the party’s weakness for former President Donald Trump’s continued success, calling Trump’s political resilience “a byproduct” of Democratic failure. Smith didn’t hold back: “They talk and they talk and they talk, but what can they do? They’ve positioned themselves to do absolutely nothing.”
Despite being a longtime critic of Trump, Smith acknowledged the GOP’s dominance, asserting, “There’s only one party running this country right now because the Democrats have no muscle whatsoever.”
The ESPN host also criticized Democrats for ignoring key economic issues. “I didn’t hear anything about tariffs from the Democrats before the election. Trump had been preaching about this for the longest time,” Smith said. “Instead, they talked about everything from woke culture to cancel culture to abortion rights… but that wasn’t going to win the election.”
When Karl referenced Trump ally Steve Bannon calling Smith the only serious threat to Republicans in 2028, Smith responded: “I would hope somebody else would step up that’s more qualified than me.” Still, he added, “I don’t mind the thought of tussling with these folks at all on the left or the right. All of them disgust me, to be quite honest with you.”
Although Smith only polls at 1–2% among Democratic primary voters, he sees that alone as telling. “That’s why somebody who’s a sports analyst, for crying out loud, is in the doggone polls,” he said. “It’s an indictment against the Democratic Party that doesn’t have leadership, it doesn’t have a vision.”
