Meet the latest — and oddest — 2028 Democratic prospect
FIRST TAKE — When Democrats fade into their happy place — 2028 — there's a long roster of familiar governors, senators and other party officials that they run through for potential candidates. And in recent weeks, the buzz for another has taken off: Stephen A. Smith.
Yes, that Stephen A. Smith, the one who's been at ESPN spewing takes, after takes, after takes, off and on since 2005.
It seems implausible on its face. But so did Donald Trump, three years out from the 2016 election. And some are now wondering if Smith — maybe, just maybe — could bring together the hobbled Democratic party's splintered factions and channel a Trump type of energy and connection with disaffected voters.
Smith is no regular pundit. He's become famous for his ability to take any anodyne topic and turn it into content that goes viral on social media — take his tirade about the Pixar movie 'Cars' or his impromptu performance of Beyoncé's smash hit 'Single Ladies'. He innately understands what gets the internet's attention. Right now, it's increasingly his burgeoning interest in politics.
Throughout the 2024 presidential election, and even more so since November on his podcast, Smith made clear his frustrations with the Democratic Party's inability to beat Trump. He's rarely nakedly ideological, nor does he get into the weeds of policy discourse. What he does believe is that Trump is unbecoming of the presidency, and that Democrats have some work to do as well.
His podcast, 'The Stephen A. Smith Show,' remains mostly sports-related content, listened to by a base of mostly non-political junkies (likely including many of the young men who defected from the Democratic Party in November). But recently, he's also been talking about Trump's executive orders and spending freezes, and even had Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro — a presidential prospect himself — on for an interview on Wednesday.
In a recent appearance on 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' Smith, sitting alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), ripped into former Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats for their performance. 'The man was impeached twice. He was convicted on 34 felony counts. And the American people still said, 'He's closer to normal than what we see on the left.'' Smith said of the election results.
'Exactly,' Maher responded.
Smith goes on in the interview to offer his take on the ways in which Democrats have lost a majority of America. 'What voter out there can look at the Democratic party at this moment in time and say there's a voice for us, somebody that speaks for us,' Smith said. 'They didn't do that. And that's why their behinds are home and that man is back in the White House.' He also insisted that former President Barack Obama's apparent palling around with Trump at former President Jimmy Carter's funeral was not a 'good look.'
Last week, Khanna took to X in praise of Smith. '.@stephenasmith is one of the most talented and authentic communicators of our age. He speaks against the status quo with conviction and knows what ordinary people are thinking. Dems should listen to him.'
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) echoed that sentiment, responding to a post from Smith teasing a presidential run by saying, 'Don't underestimate this idea, @stephenasmith could win. In today's politics the best, tougher messenger usually wins.'
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked about the Smith boomlet on Thursday. '2028 is way off in the distance. House Democrats are engaged in hour by hour, day to day, week to week struggle on behalf of the American people,' Jeffries said, adding, 'There's a lot to like about Stephen A. Smith, including the fact that we are die hard Knicks fans.'
Just last week, Smith also sparred on Fox News with Sean Hannity about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a discussion on DEI cuts. 'You have somebody like Hegseth, for example, your former colleague,' Smith said, as Hannity interjected and said to leave his friend out of it. 'I'm not bringing up anything personal. I'm simply saying, my god Sean, when you talk about people that are unqualified … When you're a weekend host on Fox News and now you're the Defense secretary … that is not qualified.'
The result of these recent appearances has been an eruption of chatter on social media, serious and unserious, about Smith as a prospective 2028 Democratic nominee. 'F— it, we found our guy,' one X user posted, garnering 17,000 likes.
One account, titled, 'Stephen A. Smith 2028,' picked up over 10,000 followers overnight last week. It now has over 24,000 followers (including newly anointed Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg).
'I know this whole thing might seem like a joke, but I should remind you that's exactly what they said about Trump at first too!' the owner of the account, who did not provide his name, said in an email to POLITICO.
Fancams have been made, in the same vein of Harris and Tim Walz edits this summer.
The ever-thirsty Smith has basked in the speculation about his presidential prospects, but has yet to take any steps to seriously suggest he's considering a bid.
'I doubt I'll ever run. It's not me,' Smith said earlier this month. 'I've a pretty good life and I don't want to ruin it by ever getting involved in politics. But I gotta tell y'all something, the Democratic Party looks so pathetic after this election, I might entertain running. I might just change my mind one day.'
In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, he added more fuel to the fire. 'I wouldn't mind being in office. But running for it is a problem. I'm not one of those dudes that's great at shaking hands and kissing babies, per say. I'm not a beggar.'
Trump might have said the same in the years before he descended down the Trump Tower escalator to announce his longshot presidential bid. Now, Smith's fans see an opening within the Democratic Party for a similarly disruptive and unconventional candidate. 'In 2016, Trump freed the Republicans from their Obama-induced malaise in a sweep of dynamic charisma,' the account's owner said. 'As an outsider himself, Smith is very well positioned to do the same for the Democrats, who are in need of a redefinition.'
Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight's author at bjohansen@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BenJohansen3.
What'd I Miss?
— Louisiana to end mass vaccine promotion, state's top health official says: The Louisiana Department of Health 'will no longer promote mass vaccination' according to a memo written by the state's top health official and obtained by The Associated Press. A department spokesperson confirmed Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham had ordered his staff to stop engaging in media campaigns and community health fairs to encourage vaccinations, even as the state has experienced a surge in influenza.
— Vance meets with leader of far-right German political party backed by Musk: JD Vance met today with the leader of the far-right German political party being boosted by Elon Musk, according to a person familiar with the meeting granted anonymity to discuss the vice president's schedule. Vance was in Munich for a security conference, where earlier in the day he had blasted Europe over immigration and censorship of free speech that he suggested targeted right-leaning people and political parties. Vance met with the leaders of all four major German political parties, the person said — including Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. He also met this week with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier in the week in Paris.
— American citizen arrested in Russia for weed gummies, state media says: An American was arrested in Russia last week after airport security found cannabis gummies in his luggage. The 28-year-old man, who arrived from Istanbul, was detained at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport on Feb. 7, according to Russian state media, after a sniffer dog discovered the contraband. The man — who was not named in state media reports — explained he had been prescribed the gummies by a doctor in the United States. He was taken into custody and charged with drug smuggling, with a potential prison term of five to 10 years as well as a fine of 1 million roubles, which amounts to roughly $11,000.
THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
RED STATE REGRET — Republican lawmakers are pushing back against sweeping cuts to the federal government launched by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, as their downsizing crusade begins to hit GOP constituents.
A growing number of GOP lawmakers are trying to intervene with the Trump administration and are weighing legislation to circumvent the changes. But with the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget moving at a rapid clip and flouting federal law to carve up the government, the lawmakers face monumental challenges in getting the White House to spare their constituents from the ax.
Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson, a senior appropriator whose district is home to a number of national parks, said in an interview his staff is talking to the administration about how an OMB-directed, government-wide hiring freeze will affect the National Park Service. The park service fired 1,000 full-time staff Friday but said seasonal hiring is resuming, exempting 5,000 seasonal jobs from the hiring freeze.
Sen. Jerry Moran, another GOP appropriator who represents the agriculture-heavy state of Kansas, has told the White House that DOGE's dismantling of USAID will impact constituents who have long relied on selling their crops to a government program that fights hunger abroad.
TEMPORARY PAUSE — A federal judge today temporarily stopped the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from continuing mass firings of employees, throwing up an initial roadblock to President Donald Trump's fast-moving efforts to dismantle the agency.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson blocked the CFPB from terminating additional employees after the Trump administration this week fired dozens of agency workers, including an entire team of people scrutinizing Big Tech companies' financial products. The order blocks the CFPB from terminating any employee, other than for performance-related reasons or misconduct, or starting the process to lay off career agency employees.
THE AGREEMENT — A chastened Eric Adams appeared today alongside Trump border czar Tom Homan on the president's favorite morning talk show to project what the New York City mayor said was a united front against violent criminals without legal immigration status. In the 20-minute rollercoaster TV interview, Adams vacillated between a grim countenance and awkward chuckles while Homan pressured him and the Trump-boosting Fox hosts grilled him. The mayor's face even fell mid-laugh as he appeared to process a barely veiled threat from Homan — the man the president has entrusted to carry out his immigration orders in the country's biggest 'sanctuary city.' 'If he doesn't come through,' Homan said, 'I'll be back in New York City, and we won't be sitting on the couch. I'll be in his office, up his butt, saying, 'Where the hell is the agreement we came to?''
AROUND THE WORLD
ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES — Germany's likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk should be prepared to face consequences for meddling in the German election campaign if he takes office.
'What happened in this election campaign cannot go unchallenged,' Merz, the front-runner from the center-right conservative alliance, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. 'It can be a political response. It can be a legal response. I want to analyze this calmly after this election campaign.' The country goes to the polls Feb. 23.
Tesla chief Musk caused an outcry in Germany by throwing his weight behind the far-right Alternative for Germany in the run-up to next weekend's vote.
When asked whether any government response post election could affect Tesla's gigafactory near Berlin, Merz said: 'I am deliberately leaving the consequences open for now.'
YOU'RE NEXT — Russia is preparing to station up to 150,000 troops in Belarus this year that could be used against NATO countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday in Munich.
'This year, Russia will prepare 15 divisions for training and strengthening the situation in the Belarusian direction. It will be 100,000-150,000 people,' Zelenskyy said.
'And I am not sure that this group will go on the offensive against Ukraine. But it will go on the offensive,' Zelenskyy said. 'I am not intimidating anyone. They can simply go on the offensive into Ukraine, just like they went in 2022 … or they will go to Poland or the Baltic countries.'
Nightly Number
RADAR SWEEP
SUPER SNIFFER — For decades, dogs have been used to search for criminals, identify explosives, illicit drugs and rescue humans. Using dogs for these tasks requires a vast amount of training because each dog can only be trained to detect one class of odor compounds, limiting the smells it's able to track. Canaery, a Florida startup, says the solution is combining canines with a nose-computer interface to decode the odors that an animal smells in real time. This neurotechnology would expand what dogs are able to discover without specialized training. The startup and its collaborators envision a future where dogs can detect anything from bombs and contraband to human diseases and environmental toxins. Canaery's goal is to bring the same brain-computer interfaces used for humans to dogs. For WIRED, Emily Mullin, writes about how an innovative technology could turn 'man's best friend' into a 'super detector.'
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