Stephen A. Smith has responded to reports of him emerging as an early presidential candidate for the 2028 Election.
On Wednesday, Smith reacted to a post from the NBA Central's X account that shared a FrontRowSports article announcing 2% of voters want the legendary sports journalist to be the Democratic nominee for the 2028 race.
The poll was created by McLaughlin & Associates last month and asked voters who they would want representing Democrats in 2028.
Smith received 2% of votes over reputable Democratic party names such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke. Former Vice President Kamala Harris led the way with 33% of votes in the hypothetical primary.
Smith feigned shock that the report got a tweet from the NBA Central X page, not the well-known NBA Centel account that has a history of fooling fans and journalists with fake news.
Smith's reaction was much different from the first time he saw the poll from McLaughlin & Associates last month.
When the poll was first made public last month, Smith retweeted the news with a picture of himself cheekily sipping from a straw. Smith then spoke on his YouTube show about his desire to run for the presidential seat, saying he doesn't want the life he built for himself to be ruined.
"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."
It's still very early to decide who the people want as their candidate in the next presidential election, but Smith is getting some solid support that many did not expect.
Former White House official Doug MacKinnon said he believes Smith could turn the Democratic party around.
"If I were part of the Democratic Party brain trust in search of a winning presidential candidate, I might be seeking an 'un-politician' with a backstory that connects with 'real America,'" Mackinnon wrote in an article for The Hill. "I would be reaching out to Stephen A. Smith."
