Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith just landed a lucrative contract to continue his television duties at ESPN, so it should come as no surprise that he has no interest in running for President of the United States.
At a broadcast industry trade show in Las Vegas on Monday, Smith said he would not rule out the possibility of a presidential bid in the future, but noted it would take a fair amount of persuasion because his interest in running for office is practically non-existent.
“I have no desire to do it; I’m living a pretty good life right now. Life’s been good,” Smith said at the NAB Show on Monday. “The last thing that I would want to do is involve myself in politics. I’ve always perceived politicians as being professional beggars. I don’t say that derogatorily or anything like that. It’s just the reality. You’ve always got your hand out for something. People always need favors in return. I’m not that guy. So, I could never see myself as a politician.”
A poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates nearly three months ago found 2 percent of survey participants would be willing to back Smith if he ran on the Democratic ticket for president. The survey included 414 participants, which means nearly 8 people said they’d vote for Smith.
A similar poll conducted by podcaster Pablo Torre — the show said it commissioned Rasmussen for the survey — claims Smith has more support, coming second to former Vice President Kamala Harris but ahead of potential candidates like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Smith says he’s been seriously approached “by people on Capitol Hill” about the prospect of a presidential run — he didn’t say who — but as more people question him about it, he’s chosen to seriously consider the matter.
“I am not going to rule it out,” he said.
