Well, here we go again. Another celebrity with a microphone is eyeing the Oval Office.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith is no longer laughing off questions about a potential presidential run. In fact, he is now openly admitting that he is “giving strong consideration” to stepping onto the debate stage in 2027 ahead of the 2028 election.
In an interview with CBS News correspondent Robert Costa for CBS Sunday Morning, Smith made it clear this is not just barbershop chatter. “I will confess to you, I’m giving strong consideration to being on that debate stage for 2027,” he said. “I’ve got this year coming up — 2026 — to think about it, to study, to know the issues.”
That is quite a shift for a man best known for yelling about the Dallas Cowboys and dissecting NBA trades.
Smith, 58, also revealed that conversations about a potential run are happening behind the scenes. “I’ve been approached by people on Capitol Hill … people who are elected officials in office … people have legitimately, seriously, asked me about it,” he said.
Translation, the political class is at least curious about hitching themselves to a loud, recognizable brand.
To his credit, Smith is not pretending this would be a casual hobby. In a post on X earlier this month, he wrote, “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.”
That line says a lot. He likes his current gig. He does not like politics as it stands. He seems to see himself less as someone who wants to govern and more as someone who wants to challenge the people who do.
In a January interview with theGrio, he put it this way: “I’m dead serious about wanting to go up against those politicians, not be a politician, but wanting to go up against them on a debate stage to call out what they have done to our country, to harm us.”
He has suggested that if he runs, it would likely be in the Democratic primary. He describes himself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, which in today’s Democratic Party is a tightrope walk at best.
Here is the bigger question. Do we really need another entertainer testing the waters for the presidency? Politics is not cable television. It is not about hot takes and viral clips. It is about budgets, national security, and the Constitution.
Smith says he will use 2026 to study the issues. That is a good start. The presidency is not a debate club trophy. If he is serious, he will have to prove he can do more than talk.
Stay in tour lane, dont let your ego rule you .