“Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I’m officially leaving all doors open,” the ESPN host wrote on social media.
Stephen A. Smith is known for dominating the sports debate desk, but now he might be shifting attention to a different kind of arena—the political one. Less than a month after brushing off the idea, the ESPN host declared on X he’s not shutting the door on a presidential run.
“Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney,” Smith wrote on X. “Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I’m officially leaving all doors open.”
Smith, 57, has built a career on bold, hot takes. Most recently, he made headlines for his public spat with LeBron James, but now, it seems like political speculation is the newest headline tied to his name. With voters increasingly looking for voices outside of the usual political circle, Smith’s name has started to pop up in conversations around the 2024 and 2028 elections, as many Democrats express concern about party direction and leadership.
In March, the “First Take” host emphasized that he “didn’t give a damn about the office” and preferred challenging politicians from the sidelines, per USA Today. In addition to being a vocal critic of President Trump, Smith holds Democrats accountable for the current political landscape.
“Yes you did say beware, beware, beware,” Smith said on his podcast Saturday. “You told us these things. But you still lived life allowing cancel culture and identity politics to be pervasive throughout our society. Y’all did that as Democrats.”
Still, a recent poll has added some fuel to the fire.
According to a survey by polling group McLaughlin & Associates, Smith, a registered Independent, pulled in 2% of Democratic voter support in a hypothetical presidential primary—a small number, but one that echoes early polling for President Donald Trump before his 2016 political breakthrough. The poll asked 414 likely Democratic primary voters for their current preferences, with Vice President Kamala Harris leading at 33%. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came in at 9%, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 7%. Smith landed in the same range as several established political figures, including Govs. Josh Shapiro and Tim Walz, and Sen. Cory Booker.
While the poll numbers aren’t definitive, they’re enough to keep the conversation going, which, according to Smith, some politicians are seriously pursuing.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve had no choice but to get more serious about it,” he said during a panel at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. “I’ve been approached by people on Capitol Hill. I’ve been approached by people who are elected officials in office, whether it’s governors or mayors or what have you. People have legitimately, seriously, asked me about it.”
While it’s unclear if Smith is serious about his potential political future, the sports commentator was clear that he thinks the country is “an absolute mess” under the current administration.
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