The Democratic Party is still reeling and rebuilding from November, opening the door for unexpected candidates to weigh a run in 2028. And they don’t come much more unexpected than ESPN linchpin Stephen A. Smith.
The sportscaster is known for having a quick take on just about everything, but he was taken aback to learn that he’d captured two percent of the vote in a survey of candidates in a hypothetical 2028 primary from GOP pollster John McLaughlin. Smith came out ahead of one-time candidate Beto O’Rourke and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Smith responded to the poll during an episode of his eponymous talk show on Friday, leaving the door open for a run if Democrats continued to miss the mark.
“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,”
The NBA analyst ruffled feathers earlier this month when he leveled heavy criticisms of the Democrats in an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Smith said the party’s failure was understandable, given that it didn’t offer voters anything during the last four years.
“What voter out there can look at the Democratic Party and say, ‘There’s a voice for us, somebody who speaks for us?’” he asked Maher.
“I voted for [Kamala Harris,] a lot of people voted for her, but in the end, we end up feeling like damn fools,” he added. “If you had a primary, the likelihood is she would not have been the Democratic nominee.”
Watch Smith’s full remarks from Friday here:
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