Stephen A. Smith ‘No Longer Going to Close the Door’ on Run for President: ‘Sick of This Mess’

Evan Agostini/AP

Stephen A. Smith announced Monday he is “officially leaving all doors open” when it comes to a potential run for the highest office in the country.

In recent months, there’s been much talk of Smith running for president in 2028 after his name appeared in polls alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Although Smith has claimed he’d only do it if he felt he had a legitimate chance at winning, he’s mostly shot down the idea of actually getting into politics.

Due to the current state of the country, however, Smith seems to have changed his tune. At a recent event in Las Vegas — as reported by Barrett Media — Smith revealed he’s been “approached” by people in Washington about making a serious run.

“Over the last few weeks, I’ve had no choice but to get more serious about it,” he said. “I’ve been approached by people on Capitol Hill. I’ve been approached by people who are elected officials in office, whether it’s governors or mayors or what have you. People have legitimately, seriously, asked me about it. I have no desire to be a politician, but I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to close that door. I’m gonna keep my options open. I’m going to entertain the possibility. If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it’s an absolute mess and there’s legitimate reason to believe… that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States. I am not going to rule it out.”

Smith shared the article on Twitter/X on Monday, saying he “hates the thought of being a politician” but is “sick of this mess.”

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