If Stephen A. Smith is granted the opportunity to debate Donald Trump and other politicians, he predicts TV ratings that would rival the Super Bowl.
As much as Smith attempts to downplay any interest in ever running for president, he has maintained a strong desire to take part in a presidential debate. Two years ago, Smith told Howard Stern he would “eat” Trump “alive” on the debate stage. And while appearing at Barrett Media’s Audio Summit earlier this month, Smith reiterated his desire to debate Trump after being asked about the president’s recent questioning of his IQ.
“Since you so big and bad, why don’t you debate me?” Smith said of Trump during a session hosted by Jason Barrett. “You know what time it is. Remember, I knew this man before he was the president…Donald Trump knows enough about me. He knows how I would come at him. He can talk that junk all he wants to, but name the time and place and I’ll show up.”
Despite Trump occasionally teasing a third term in the White House, he remains constitutionally ineligible to run for president again, meaning a political debate with Stephen A. Smith would have to be some sort of special event. But Smith could conceivably get on the debate stage with other politicians ahead of the next presidential election, something that similarly appeals to the ESPN and SiriusXM host.
“I don’t care about winning a presidency or anything. But to be on that stage with these politicians that have divided our country the way that they have, I would love the opportunity to be on a debate stage where they try to justify it with me standing next to them,” Smith said. “I really think 100 million people will watch that knowing I’m coming.”
In comparison, an estimated 67.1 million people watched the last presidential debate between Trump and Kamala Harris in September 2024. The June 2024 debate between Trump and Joe Biden received 51.3 million viewers.
Smith vs. Trump, or Smith vs. other politicians, would certainly garner additional intrigue among sports fans. But it would also lose some intrigue for non-sports fans who don’t care about Smith, since he isn’t a serious candidate. Regardless, Smith is probably overstating his reach if he thinks 100 million people would tune in to watch him take part in any political debate.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com