Stephen A. Smith, the host of “First Take” on ESPN and the prince of outrageous hot takes, says he’s seriously considering running for president of the United States in 2028.
It arrestingly came in the form of a live, unvarnished moment during Smith’s most recent visit to ABC’s This Week, in which he unleashed not just on the shattered condition of American politics but on the people on the path toward putting him in the Oval Office.
“I have no choice,” Smith said during an appearance that could have just as easily come from one of his signature First Take diatribes. “I’ve had elected officials and I’m not going to give their names … folks who are pundits … billionaires and others … talk to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature.”
Smith did not shy away from where his frustration lies. He targeted both sides of the aisle but unleashed a particularly scorching critique of the Democratic Party, saying it was leaderless and visionless.
“It’s not some big somebody upping me,” he added. “It’s an indictment of a Democratic party without leadership and without a vision. And it’s sad.”
Coming from one man who’s built a career on cutting through the noise, this wasn’t grandstanding but sounded like honest-to-god disappointment coming from someone who sees a void where leadership used to be. Smith was adamant, whether you agree with him or not: He doesn’t see anyone in his hall standing up, and that silence is getting even noisier.
And it’s not just media people or fans whispering in his ear. Smith has even had his pastor step into the ring spiritually, at least calling for him to keep the door ajar.
“People have literally come up to me, including my own pastor for crying out loud, that have said to me, ‘You don’t know what God has in store for you… Just have the respect for the people who believe in you… to leave the door open.’ ”
Smith has not started a campaign yet but is not cranking out signs or pounding the Iowa pavement. But the conversation is genuine, and, he says, it’s becoming more strident. He’s under a new contract with ESPN, but if his disdain for American politics continues to boil over, imagine what 2028 might bring.
It’s wild, brash, and so Stephen A. fiery, straightforward, and completely indeterminate. The next few years could be a campaign trail of mic drops, verbal smackdowns, and, who knows, maybe a debate night intro that begins,
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