Will Stephen A. Smith Run For President?

'I’m officially leaving all doors open'

If an actor (Ronald Reagan) and a reality TV personality (Donald Trump) can become Presidents of the United States, can a sports analyst (Stephen A. Smith) follow the same path?

According to a social media post by the controversial ESPN host, he may be thinking about making the move for the 2028 general elections.

“Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I’m officially leaving all doors open.”

Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess.

So I’m officially leaving all doors open https://t.co/n6BmAOKjiv

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 7, 2025

Smith, who has no issue commenting on any and everything through several platforms, posted a recent article by Barrett Media to his social media feed that covered a conversation he had at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show in Las Vegas. In the conversation, he stated that he has no desire to become a politician, but due to recent discussions with several people, he may have a change of heart.

The First Take host claims he’s been approached by other politicians and people on Capitol Hill about a foray into politics.

“Over the last few weeks, I’ve had no choice but to get more serious about it,” he stated. “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. I have no desire to be a politician, but I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to close that door. I’m gonna keep my options open. I’m going to entertain the possibility. If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it’s an absolute mess and there’s legitimate reason to believe … that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States. I am not going to rule it out.”