‘I’m a social liberal’: Stephen A. Smith suggests he’d run as a Democrat if he were to run in 2028

The longtime ESPN personality has often discussed running for President but has remained hesitant about becoming a politician.

Stephen A. Smith is once again flirting with the idea of running for President.

In an upcoming interview with CBS News, the ESPN personality isn’t ruling out the idea of campaigning for the White House.

“So when somebody talks about me being a president or whatever, I have no desire to be a politician, zero. … I have no desire to run for office,” Smith told CBS’ Robert Costa.

However, Smith was not ruling out running for one reason: his love of debate.

“I’d love to be on the debate stages against some of these individuals that think they’re better suited to run the country,” he said. “Because I think that the American people deserve to listen to and hear from somebody who genuinely cares about making life better for them instead of yourself.”

Stephen A. Smith is moving closer to a 2028 campaign… spending a few days with him in recent months reminded me of spending a few days with Trump back in 2013-2014. Many laughed at the prospect of a bid. But in an age of celebrity and social media… https://t.co/VrTmJUWtsB— Robert Costa (@costareports) February 13, 2026

Smith has frequently waded into political waters over the last few years, most notably launching his “Straight Shooter” podcast, which is completely separate from his sports analysis. On the pod, he’d drawn widespread criticism for his critique of prominent Black figures, while not having similar energy for white men and women.

When asked whether he’d run as a Republican or a Democrat, Smith sided with the Democratic Party.

“I couldn’t see myself running as a member of the GOP. I’m a fiscal conservative,” he said. “I can’t stand high taxes, but I’m a social liberal in the same breath because I believe in living and let live. I pay attention to the desolate and disenfranchised … Yes, I like strong borders. That’s absolutely true. We never needed open borders, but we don’t need it to be completely closed either. We are a gorgeous mosaic.”

Still, it remains unclear how people would take Smith’s candidacy seriously. Costa, who interviewed Smith, said that his energy reminded him of Donald Trump in 2013-14, a political novice who, spurred by enough people to take a potential White House run to heart.

The sentiment echoes Smith’s previous comments to ABC News about possibly running for the White House.

“I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t consider it, especially when my own pastor called me and said, ‘Don’t close the door on this…you never know what God has in store for you,” Smith told Linsey Davis.