The chatter around Stephen A. Smith's potential run for president is intensifying once more this week. A new report from Adam Zagoria of NJ.com reveals that the sports personality is taking serious strides towards making this a reality. This development was sparked by CBS Sunday national correspondent Robert Costa and his recent tweet after speaking with Smith.
"Stephen A. Smith is moving closer to a 2028 campaign... spending a few days with him in recent months reminded me of spending a few days with Trump back in 2013-2014. Many laughed at the prospect of a bid. But in an age of celebrity and social media..."
The First Take host told Costa, "I will confess to you, I’m giving strong consideration to being on that debate stage for 2027 and running for the Democratic nomination. I’ve got this year coming up 2026, to think about it, to study, to know the issues."
Smith's comments mirror what he told ABC last month.
What Has Stephen A. Smith Said About Running For President?
Then he said, "I’m considering it in all seriousness, because I’ve had very, very serious people approach me about it... I have no choice. I’ve had elected officials coming up to me... 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."
Interestingly, current president Donald Trump said last May that Smith would make a great candidate for the Democratic party. Smith responded to that co-sign in humble fashion. However, he feels that Trump wasn't being totally sincere, either.
"I was aghast to be quite honest with you. I wasn’t looking for any kind of endorsement from anybody, especially him. But he is the President of the United States. There’s a bit of flattery that comes with getting such words from the man who holds the highest office in the land, and I can appreciate that. But in the same breath I’m saying to myself, 'You know what, evidently I have no chance,' because if someone like that is throwing out my name, clearly, they think that, 'Yeah, go ahead and do it so we can beat you. We can romp you too.'"
Smith did vote as an Independent during the 2024 election, selecting Kamala Harris. However, he ultimately felt he made the wrong decision. "I don’t think anybody could dismiss Donald Trump at this particular moment in time and not just because of him but because of what we’ve seen the Democrats do. We’re not falling for it any longer. The American people aren’t falling for it any longer," he said that December.
