ESPN host Stephen A. Smith is sparking talk about a possible 2028 presidential run.
On "The Stephen A. Smith Show," he teased the idea of entering politics.
"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 y’all? And Trump can’t run again," he said.
Later, on "Hannity," Smith shut down the speculation. He made it clear he’s not running.
"My lifestyle is quite lovely," Smith said. "I would not want to ruin that by running for the presidency of the United States of America. I have no interest, but I was just trying to make a profound point."
He pointed out the Democratic Party’s struggles. Without a clear frontrunner, he believes someone well-known—like himself—could be a real contender.
"I think the Democratic Party, in the state that they find themselves in, I think somebody like me could actually win," he said Tuesday.
A McLaughlin & Associates poll from January showed Kamala Harris leading the Democratic field.
She had 33%, with Pete Buttigieg trailing at 9% and Gavin Newsom at 7%. Smith pulled 2% and said he could "certainly" win if he ran.
Smith has been speaking out more on politics lately. He’s especially vocal on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
On his YouTube channel, he criticized Donald Trump’s stance on DEI. He pushed back on Trump’s claim that DEI leads to hiring unqualified people based on minority status.
Speaking with Hannity, Smith doubled down on his concerns.
"My issue with the eradication of DEI… it was the explanation that the Trump administration and others were giving about it. I don’t want to hear DEI automatically being about people who happen to be minorities that are unqualified," he said.