Trump backs Stephen A. Smith for possible 2028 bid for president: ‘I’d love to see him run’
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that he’d like to see legendary sportscaster Stephen A. Smith run for president — after the Bronx native peppered him with questions about his anti-DEI policies.
“I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you I’d love to see him run,” Trump, 78, said in a NewsNation interview.
The phone interview included Smith, who hosts “First Take” on ESPN, and former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo and former Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly — with the conservative O’Reilly floating Smith’s candidacy, possibly in jest.
“Stephen A, he’s a good guy. He’s a smart guy. I love watching him,” Trump replied to O’Reilly’s idea.
“He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him. You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I say they have no chance.”
Trump had just fielded questions from Smith, who is black, on a series of actions by his administration to roll back policies intended to benefit racial minorities.
“Your administration has issued executive orders dismantling DEI initiative across federal agencies, including revoking equal opportunity mandates and slashing funding for minority owned businesses,” Smith told the president.
“Critics argue these actions reverse decades of civil rights progress. So how do you justify these measures, and what message do they send to the marginalized communities?”
Trump politely fended off the criticism.
“What we’re doing is we have a country that’s based solely on merit now, and that’s the way it is. If somebody’s out there doing a great job —and this includes getting into colleges if you’ve worked really hard — and we don’t look at race,” Trump said.
“We don’t look at color, we don’t look at height or shortness or weight. If somebody is doing a good job and they worked and they got great marks, and they got great board numbers, and they get rejected at Harvard, which has been so disgusting, so horribly. I mean, so think of it.”
The bombastic broadcaster has repeatedly floated the possibility of running for president, claiming earlier this month he might have “no choice” but to throw his hat in the ring.
“I have no choice because I’ve had elected officials, and I’m not going to give their names, elected officials coming up to me,” Smith told ABC News’ “This Week” on April 13.
“I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature,” he added. “I’m not a politician. I’ve never had a desire to be a politician.”
Smith has never been shy to offer hot takes in the sports world, but has expanded into politics in recent months, including criticizing Democrats after they lost to Trump for the second time last November.
He also said this month he would consider running for president if he sees the country is an “absolute mess” and believes he has a “legitimate shot” of winning.
