Stephen A. Smith says he's strongly considering presidential run, has been approached by politicians
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith declared that he is considering running for office in the next few years if he believes he can win.
Smith has risen to fame as a bombastic commentator in the realms of sports and politics. Previously, he denied he would ever run for president, saying recent chatter about doing so only took off due to Democrats' desperation for a leader. However, the ESPN host spoke at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas on Monday, where he stated that recent events have changed his mind.
He posted a link to a story on his comments on X and said, "Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I'm officially leaving all doors open."
Stephen A. Smith Regrets Backing Vp Harris, 'Open' To Voting Gop: 'Not Interested' In The 'Fear Mongering'
"Over the last few weeks, I've had no choice but to get more serious about it," he said at the NAB event. "I've been approached by people on Capitol Hill. I've been approached by people who are elected officials in office, whether it's governors or mayors or what have you. People have legitimately, seriously, asked me about it."
He went on to repeat that while he does not want to become a politician, he will run for office if he thinks he has a viable path to victory.
Read On The Fox News App
"I have no desire to be a politician. My life is [going] pretty well, but I've decided that I'm no longer going to close that door," he said. "I'm gonna keep my options open. I'm going to entertain the possibility."
Speaking of the future, Smith suggested, "If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it's an absolute mess and there's legitimate reason to believe - whether it's via exploratory committees or anything else - that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States. I am not going to rule it out, and I'm not playing."
According to Forbes, he also reportedly derided politicians, saying, "I personally perceive politicians being professional beggars. You always have your hand out and people need something in return."
But even so, he said that as more and more people have urged him to become one "over the last few weeks, I had to get a little more serious about it."
Smith noted he would need to "hunker down for a couple of months" to study the various issues, but said he would look forward to debates.
Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture
"Imagine me on a debate stage with these people, these politicians," Forbes quoted Smith as saying. This is what I do for a living. I am not a politician. I don't have a political record for them to lean on. I can challenge what you literally say [as politicians]. They would all know more than me at this particular time, but they have a record to address."
"They better hope I'm not interested, I'll tell you that much," he added. "I don't like any of [the prospective 2028 candidates] right now."Original article source: Stephen A. Smith says he's strongly considering presidential run, has been approached by politicians
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
UFC 316: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison odds, picks and predictions
UFC 316: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison odds, picks and predictions In a 5-round women's bantamweight championship bout on the main card, Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison meet Saturday at UFC 316 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The bout is expected to start approximately at 11:45 p.m. ET. Early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Disney+) with the prelims set for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+ / Disney+) and the main card slated for 10 p.m. ET (Pay-Per-View). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC 316: Peña vs. Harrison odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Peña (13-5-0) | Harrison (18-1-0) Peña picked up the championship belt in December 2011 from Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, posting a Round-2 submission win. But then Peña lost the strap in the rematch at UFC 277 in a unanimous-decision setback July 2022. She was expected to face Nunes in a trilogy fight at UFC 289 in June 2023, but Peña suffered broken ribs in training and had to pull out. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' bounced back at UFC 307 after more than a 2-year layoff, topping Raquel Pennington for the belt via split decision at UFC 307 Oct. 5, 2024. After 3 consecutive fights ending via submission from October 2020 to December 2021 -- Peña went 2-1 -- she had back-to-back 5-round decisions -- the rematch loss to Nunes and the title win vs. Pennington. Peña has actually gone the distance 5 times in her past 9 bouts with her last KO/TKO win coming back in April 2015. So, that method can mostly be ignored when it comes to wagering. Harrison gets a crack at the title just 3 fights into her UFC career. She opened with a Round-2 submission of Holly Holm at UFC 300 April 2024, before stopping Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 via unanimous decision last October. Harrison has 3 consecutive victories across all levels since losing a title bout in the 2022 PFL World Championships to Larissa Pacheco Nov. 25, 2022. Harrison has gone the distance 3 times in her past 4 pro bouts. The southpaw Harrison is 34 years old, and she has a 4.87-to-3.25 significant-strikes-landed-per-minute advantage in this matchup. However, Peña has a tremendous 56.25% takedown-accuracy percentage, and she does great work on the canvas. The champ also holds a 3-inch reach advantage, so she'll be able to push and pull the challenger out at her discretion. UFC 316: Peña vs. Harrison odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:43 a.m. ET. Fight result (2-way line) : Peña +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Harrison -700 (bet $700 to win $100) : Peña +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Harrison -700 (bet $700 to win $100) Total rounds: 3.5 rounds (Over +100 | Under -135) 3.5 rounds (Over +100 | Under -135) Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +175 | No +250) UFC 316: Peña vs. Harrison picks and predictions It's time for Harrison (-700) to ascend to the throne as champ, but it isn't as huge of a disparity as the sportsbooks are making it out to be. Peña (+475) is a huge underdog, which is stunning considering she is the current title holder. We saw Peña as a giant +600 underdog against Nunes at UFC 269 when she picked up the surprising round-2 submission win. She lost to Nunes in the rematch but rebounded to regain the title vs. Pennington. She has been through the emotions and been through the wars, which will be an advantage against Harrison, who just doesn't have that experience to tap into. PASS. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Peña has 3 submission results in the past 5 fights, and 4 in the previous 7 outings since January 2017. For Harrison, she has 2 submission results in her past 5 pro fights. As such, betting SUBMISSION (+100) in "how the fight will end' method is a strong value at even-money ... and we don't need to worry about who is the winner. If you like the current champ, PEÑA BY SUBMISSION (+1200) on the 7-way line is a low-risk, high-reward possibility. OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (+100) is even-money is also a good play. Harrison is an upstart, and Peña has been going deep lately. She has gone the distance in the past 2 fights, and Harrison has gone the distance in 3 of the past 4 pro bouts. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Who's running for office? Georgia candidates announce 2026 bids
State Rep. Derrick Jackson, a Tyrone Democrat, has become the latest candidate to launch a bid for governor. The 2026 elections are more than a year away, but campaign announcement season in Georgia is in full swing, as candidates seek to secure a position under the Peach State's iconic Gold Dome. State Rep. Derrick Jackson, a Tyrone Democrat, has become the latest candidate to launch a bid for governor, unveiling a campaign Friday that highlighted his military service, business experience and focus on advocating for Georgia residents' civil rights. 'When I see something that's not right, that's not fair, that's unjust, I have a moral obligation as an elected official,' he said in an interview with the Georgia Recorder, citing a conversation he had with the late civil rights icon and long-time Georgia Congressman John Lewis that inspired him to run for governor. 'I realized we are in a political season right now where I need to do more.' He said he hopes to implement policies that would benefit working families in Georgia, including a $20 minimum wage and eliminating state taxes for teachers, nurses, military veterans and senior citizens. 'A lot of citizens are looking at this American dream, and they see it fading away because of some of the laws and policies that we put in place in Georgia,' he said. 'And so as governor, I would be in the pivotal place to stop some of these harmful pieces of legislation that are negatively impacting families in urban, suburban, rural and underserved areas in Georgia.' Jackson, a General Electric marketing executive, began his first term in the state House in 2017, but emphasized his 42 years of leadership experience throughout his time in the U.S. Navy, the Legislature and in his private sector work. He joins fellow legislator Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on the Democratic ballot. On the Republican side, Attorney General Chris Carr is the only announced candidate, but with Gov. Brian Kemp term-limited from running again, there will likely be a long list of GOP primary candidates. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is widely expected to mount a run for governor. This also isn't Jackson's first bid for higher office. In 2022 he ran for lieutenant governor, but finished sixth in the Democratic primary. He returned to the State Legislature in 2023 after winning a special election to replace Rep. Tish Naghise, a Fayetteville Democrat who died during her first term. Most recently, he ran for House Minority Leader in 2024 but lost to Rep. Carolyn Hugley, a Columbus Democrat. The gubernatorial race isn't the only statewide contest that's getting competitive. Among the candidates who launched campaigns this week are state Sen. Brian Strickland, a McDonough Republican who is entering the race for attorney general, and President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy, a Macon Republican hoping to become Georgia's next lieutenant governor. Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark of Lilburn also launched a bid for Congress this week, vying to unseat incumbent Rep. David Scott to represent Georgia's 13th congressional district. Ahead of this year's Aug. 26 special election, candidates are vying for a chance to replace outgoing state Sen. Brandon Beach, an Alpharetta Republican who President Donald Trump appointed to serve as U.S. Treasurer earlier this year. A total of seven candidates — six Republicans and one Democrat — are hoping to fill his shoes. Farooq Mughal, the former Democratic state representative from Dacula, is seeking reelection after losing his seat in one of Georgia's narrowest state legislative races of the 2024 season. Mughal made history as the first Pakistani-American in the Legislature when he was elected in 2022. However, after the 2023 redistricting cycle drew more conservative voters into his district, he became the target of a governor-backed effort to flip some of the most competitive House districts red, losing to Republican challenger Sandy Donatucci in 2024 by only 80 votes. Now, he's hoping to return to the legislature with an agenda focused on supporting public schools, securing tax relief for families and addressing gun violence. 'It was the honor of my life to serve the people of District 105,' Mughal said in a statement announcing his candidacy. 'I'm running to return to the State House because there's still critical work to be done for Gwinnett families.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Democratic states double down on laws resisting Trump's immigration crackdown
As President Donald Trump's administration targets states and local governments for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities , lawmakers in some Democratic-led states are intensifying their resistance by strengthening state laws restricting such cooperation. In California alone, more than a dozen pro-immigrant bills passed either the Assembly or Senate this week, including one prohibiting schools from allowing federal immigration officials into nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant.
