Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith admitted that he is considering running for president.
The ESPN host has long claimed to be an independent as he became increasingly critical of the Democratic Party since the 2024 election. However, he has become a frequent guest on Fox News’s Hannity and on NewsNation, and routinely discusses politics on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show.
”Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess,” Smith wrote on X, along with a report speculating about his campaign. “So I’m officially leaving all doors open.”
Recently Smith challenged Trump to a debate on diversity, equity, and inclusion after the president signed an executive order to remove the practice from federal agencies and schools. The podcaster extended the challenge to Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump won 312 electoral votes and the popular vote. Since 2001, the Democratic party has only lost the popular vote twice: once this most recent cycle and again in 2004. He also garnered a larger chunk of the black vote than previous Republican candidates at 16%.