Stephen A. Smith reacts to reports of him gaining steam as 2028 presidential candidate

Could Stephen A. Smith be the next President of the United States when the election takes place in 2028? The ESPN personality responded to a report of him gaining attention as a possible Democratic candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

“Not Centel?” Smith wrote on X. Smith was responding to a post from NBA Central who shared the news. Front Office Sports was the first to report it, saying that Smith had received two percent of the vote in a hypothetical Democratic presidential primary. He was just behind vice presidential candidate and Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro (both had three percent). Former Vice President Kamala Harris led the poll with 33 percent.

Not Centel? https://t.co/5CuyWRayBF

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 5, 2025

“We included his name because there were media reports about him talking about the presidency. But he didn’t come in at zero. He got some support. He certainly got media attention. So he’s probably gone up. But he’d probably have to take a pay cut. Just like President Trump had to take a pay cut. So we’ll see,” Donald Trump’s former pollster John McLaughlin told Front Office Sports.

Stephen A. Smith has considered running for President

Back in November, Smith talked about running for President during an appearance on The View. “I have said this on many occasions, the answer would be hell no because I like my life. I’m living a pretty good life,” Smith said. “But I must confess, I wish I could debate some of these guys. I’d love to be on a debate stage going up against these guys. I’m half-joking but I kind of mean it. I mean I have no desire to be a congressional figure or a senator. But 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.”

Stephen A. Smith then talked about his possible presidential campaign on his show this past weekend. “I doubt I’ll ever run. It’s not me. I live a pretty good life—and I don’t want to ruin it by getting involved in politics,” Smith said. “​But I’ve got to tell y’all something: the Democratic Party looks so pathetic after this election, I might entertain running. I just might change my mind one day. I doubt it. But I might. Because how much would it take to beat ya’ll? And Trump can’t run again. He’s done.”