As speculation continues ramping up that ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is seriously considering running for president in 2028, the First Take analyst provided a condition for this.
Speaking to TMZ Sports at Kenny Smith's FlyHouse All-Star Bash in Los Angeles, California, Smith claimed, “This country sucks” when talking about why he'd want to run for president. However, he did acknowledge that his “money has to be tight” in order for him to run.
“My quality of life needs to be straight, you know? From my understanding, that can't happen because I'd have to give it up in order to run,” Smith said.
Luckily, as TMZ notes in their report, he recently signed a five-year, $100 million contract with ESPN in 2025. Still, he will need to get his affairs in order before running.
Why Stephen A. Smith may actually run for president in 2028
During the same interview with TMZ Sports, Smith revealed why he wants to run. He thinks America is currently “devoid of leadership,” and presumably, he could bring that to the table.
“I think the country is devoid of leadership, the kind of leadership we have, we don't need,” Smith “matter-of-factly” told TMZ Sports. “The kind of leadership we should be getting, nobody is stepping up and doing.
“I don't desire to be a politician, but in the same breath, the opportunity to go on a debate stage and call out these politicians for the things that they've done to damage this country is something that very much appeals to me,” he continued.
Smith would also be eager to “debate these politicians that I think have divided all of us and have really screwed up this country.” He added, “That's what I really, really want to do, more so than anything else. But I'm not going to lie and act like it wouldn't be attractive if I knew I could win the presidency, that I wouldn't be tempted, because I know I would.”
Still, Smith will take his time to decide. He recently told CBS that he is using 2026 to “think about it, to study, to know the issues” before officially throwing his hat in the race.
