ESPN's Stephen A. Smith turns up political talk, triggering 2028 speculation
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith is taking on a new role in Democratic politics as the party searches for its identity after its loss to President Trump in November.
Smith expressed interest in politics well before Election Day but has been particularly critical of the party following Trump’s victory, calling on it to refocus on voters' top issues during the past cycle, including inflation and immigration.
His political involvement has even stirred talk of him as a possible 2028 presidential candidate. While he's dismissed that idea, it shows just how much attention the political outsider is receiving for his vision of where the party should go.
“It's great to have someone from outside of politics making compelling arguments for the Democratic Party,” said Democratic strategist Jared Leopold. “I think we've seen that a lot of people, that the majority of swing voters treat politics not as the entree but as a side course, and sports are definitely an entry point.”
Smith has worn several hats throughout his career, hosting a radio show and co-hosting “First Take” on ESPN. But he’s also explored outside sports commentating and reporting, dabbling in acting and commenting on national political news.
He’s been open about discussing politics for years, but he became a rising voice throughout the 2024 cycle with much of his political commentary on his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” and appearances on news talk shows.
A registered independent, Smith has said he has some liberal and conservative-leaning views but identifies as moderately to the left overall. He supported Vice President Harris in the 2024 election and said he would consider voting for a Republican but “never” Trump.
He predicted in September that Harris would win and sparred with Fox News host Sean Hannity just ahead of the election.
But he later expressed regret for supporting Harris after her loss and has rebuked the party for losing its way and not focusing on the main issues voters showed they cared about throughout 2024, as he has argued.
He called Trump’s win a “referendum on the Democratic Party,” tapping into frustration from those who say the party needs to course correct rather than just improve at communicating.
With the Democratic Party without a clear leader, some Democrats said the party could use all the help it can get to right the ship.
“Democrats are looking for someone who will forcefully argue our points and not back down,” Leopold said. “And it hasn't been in politics, but Stephen A. Smith has made a career of doing just that.”
The Hill has reached out to Smith through ESPN for comment.
Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki said the party needs as many communicators as possible.
“Every person in America with a platform who can communicate the cost that the Trump administration is making us all pay, come on in, the water is fine,” he said. “Welcome to the party.”
Smith hasn’t taken on the Democratic label and called for patience on one of Trump’s signature plans to reduce the size of the federal government with Elon Musk’s efforts, but he has seemed to focus on where the Democratic Party needs to go in the aftermath of Trump’s victory.
In the past few weeks, he has had Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), a rumored 2028 candidate, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on his podcast, discussing a range of topics, including the state and direction of the party.
Smith has also recently jostled with longtime Democratic strategist James Carville, saying he resonates with voters more than Carville and could "wreak havoc" on politics if he studied it as he does sports.
Smith’s expressed interest in Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) as possible 2028 nominees, but he’s also been the subject of speculation of presidential ambitions himself.
He’s been asked the question on a few occasions over the past few months, generally saying no but on occasion with a caveat.
“I’m half joking, but I kind of mean it... if you came to me and you told me I had a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States of America, I would definitely consider it,” Smith said on “The View” in November after initially responding “hell no” on the possibility.
He said at the time that if he were to run, he would run as an independent, though he said in a podcast late last month that he would “probably” be a moderate Democrat if he ran.
Smith has even been included in a few early hypothetical polls for the Democratic nomination, receiving 1 or 2 percent support.
Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright said Smith being in the discussion about the future of the party has its place, as the current media environment shows people receive information from a wide range of sources.
“If there's one thing that we have learned from the previous elections is that different people get the information from different places, whether the information is accurate or not... and then different people process information different ways,” he said. “And so I think it's certainly not unusual for an outside voice to garner inside attention.”
Seawright said 2028 chatter is “premature” and the party’s focus should be more on the now. But he said Smith has a responsibility if he is to be involved in the conversations about the party’s direction, arguing that some statements that Smith made during the election cycle “had nowhere near an ounce of truth to it.”
But he drew a line between sports and politics having a similar dynamic.
“It's important to note that sports and politics have a lot of similarities,” he said. “Contact being one of them, competition being the other, and the fact that in sports you either win or you learn, and that same thing about [politics] you don't always lose either when they learn.”
“And so I think there's some similarities, but I think everything in its proper place is important for people to note,” he added.
Zepecki argued that Smith’s call for Democrats to focus more on issues of the economy and immigration aren’t as simple as he presents, saying, “What a novel idea. I'm sure none of the consultant class who he wants the fire suggested that or thought that was a good idea.”
“He sees an opportunity for himself to dunk on America's softest target, the Democratic Party,” he said. “If anybody thinks running Triumph the Insult Comic Dog for president is a good idea, run the damn dog.”
Smith himself argued that observers shouldn’t be considering him as a candidate now, but that speaks to the state of the party without a clear leader.
“I’m not in the news because I’m here,” Smith said during a recent podcast episode, raising his arm above his head.
“I’m in the news because the Democratic Party is here,” he said, lowering his arm.
Smith added that he doesn’t mind the “noise” around him even though he doesn’t plan to be a candidate, hoping that it will make the party “uncomfortable” enough to “get your act together.”
“If not that, holler at me in three years,” he concluded. “I might have changed my mind by then.”
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