First 2028 Contender On Running for President: ‘I’ll Leave The Door Open’

Stephen A. Smith, the well-known ESPN commentator, has been contemplating a 2028 presidential run ever since his name appeared in a poll earlier this year.

In a recent conversation with Complex’s Speedy Morman, Smith reiterated that he is still considering the possibility, stating, “I’ll leave the door open.”

“You’re saying that I switched positions. I haven’t switched positions. I said, I’ve been compelled after talking to my pastor and numerous politicians who I would not name,…they asked me to leave the door open, so I’ll leave it open,” Smith explained during his appearance on 360 with Speedy.

Smith lightheartedly noted that stepping into the presidency would mean facing “a huge damn pay cut,” a sacrifice he currently isn’t eager to make.

Still, Smith hinted that his perspective might evolve over the next few years.

“Now, three years from now, if I change my mind, that would be a change,” he added. “I want to continue to get paid, to be successful, without the scrutiny of tens of millions of American citizens who might not like my positions on the border, the economy, health care, or something else. I’d rather not have that problem. But if desperate times call for desperate measures and enough people come my way, I’ll leave the door open for the possibility [to run].”

Earlier in the month, Smith mentioned he might be driven to pursue the presidency in 2028 if the Democratic Party fails to produce a strong candidate.

As reported by the New York Post, Smith revealed on his show First Take that he has been inundated with messages encouraging him to think about a campaign, which has kept the idea alive for him.

“I have no choice because I’ve had elected officials, and I’m not going to give their names—elected officials coming up to me,” Smith shared during an interview on ABC News’ This Week.

“I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature,” he continued. “I’m not a politician. I’ve never had a desire to be a politician.”

Known primarily for his outspoken sports commentary, Smith has, in recent years, branched out into political analysis, often taking aim at both President Trump and the Democratic Party for their shortcomings.

Although Smith has left the door ajar for a 2028 campaign, he made it clear he would rather see a seasoned, capable candidate emerge.

“I would hope somebody else would step up that’s more qualified than me, but if it has to come down to me, it is something I would consider,” he said, according to The Post.

Just last week, Smith made headlines when he announced he will “no longer rule out” running for office.

“Here’s the reality: People, literally people, have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, ‘You don’t know what God has planned for you,’” Smith revealed, adding that his pastor urged him to honor “the people who believe” in his leadership potential.

During the 2024 election cycle, Smith supported former Vice President Kamala Harris, but later admitted feeling like a “fool” after Harris secured the Democratic nomination without undergoing a full primary contest.

Appearing on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Smith contrasted Harris' campaign with that of Barack Obama’s 2008 run, expressing skepticism over her rapid rise.

“Kamala Harris, who didn’t resonate during the primaries in 2020, couldn’t even get to Iowa, suddenly is the Democratic nominee, then you roll up to the convention in Chicago, and everybody is like ‘She’s a rockstar!’ So it’s like, ‘How’d that happen?” Smith remarked.

“Yes, I voted for her, a lot of people voted for her, but in the end, we end up feeling like d— fools because we supported it, we fell for ‘the okiedoke’ as they say. If you had a primary, the likelihood is she would not have been the Democratic nominee,” he continued.

While Smith has openly criticized Democrats, he also made it clear that he “doesn’t like” the state of affairs under President Donald Trump.

“I don’t like what I’m seeing, but I’m not surprised. I mean, this whole tariff war situation is utterly ridiculous,” he said. “He should have immediately targeted China and not every nation on the planet, for crying out loud.”

“There doesn’t appear to be a plan. Let’s be, let’s be very, very clear about that,” Smith emphasized. “But in the end, you know, what you have to applaud them for is for trying something.”

Smith’s broader critique of the Democratic Party is that “they talk and they talk and they talk” but rarely achieve meaningful results for the American people.