Stephen A. Smith: ‘Put the presidential aspirations to bed’

Stephen A. Smith might like the idea of being president; he might really like the idea of being on the debate stage, but he likes his money more.

Smith joined the debut episode of the Fox News podcast Hang Out with Sean Hannity this week. And during the interview, Hannity called BS on the idea of Smith actually running for president of the United States.

“2028s coming pretty quick,” Hannity told Smith. “I think it’s all bullsh*t, I don’t think you’re running, am I right?”

“I don’t think I’m running either, because I gotta give up my money,” Smith confirmed. “I ain’t giving up my money, Sean. Sean, I ain’t giving up my money. I can tell you right now, let me put the presidential aspirations to bed. If I have to give up my money, it’s not happening.”

Smith just signed a five-year $100 million deal with ESPN last March, he’s building his own production company, and entered a partnership with SiriusXM last summer. Now is not a good time for him to put his bustling media career on hold to run for president. But it’s always a good time for Smith to talk about the idea of running for president, because it garners attention.

Smith telling Hannity he won’t run for president comes less than a month after he told CBS national correspondent Robert Costa he was “giving strong consideration” to the idea of getting on the debate stage in 2027. Smith added that he’s taking 2026 to mull the decision. Well, one month later, Smith appears to have made his decision, for now.

The only thing Smith has truly confirmed about any potential run for president is the fact that he can’t help himself from keeping his name in the conversation. Sure, Smith confirmed to Hannity he won’t be running for president this week, but that won’t stop him from teasing enough interest in the idea of running to manufacture new headlines next week. Because of the idea of running for president, Smith flip-flops back and forth, as any presidential candidate ever has.

It’s not going to happen. For all of his political commentary, Smith hasn’t even shared a defined platform he’d be willing to run on. Smith isn’t running for president in 2028. That might not rule him out of running in 2032 or beyond, because even Donald Trump teased presidential bids at least three times over several decades before he actually ran in 2016. But regardless of whether Smith eventually takes running for president seriously, you can guarantee he’ll keep breadcrumbing whenever he wants to make some news.