Pollster Believes Stephen A. Smith Should Run for President in 2028

Stephen A. Smith may not be what America needs, but he could be what they choose.
Stephen A. Smith courtside at a now-infamous Lakers game.
Stephen A. Smith courtside at a now-infamous Lakers game. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith for president sounds like a fever dream, but it's also a real sports story that has emerged in 2025. ESPN's most high-profile and well-paid personality has gotten some legitimate buzz for political aspirations that have basically just been spoken into existence.

On Friday's edition of Pablo Torre Finds Out, Pablo Torre found out just how seriously we should be taking a potential Smith presidential run. The answer may shock you.

The PTFO crew commissioned an actual Rasmussen survey of 1,021 "likely American voters" to find out how SAS stacked up against people like Kamala Harris, JD Vance, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes and Gavin Newsom. And Smith held his own.

The true headline here is that this means he really could be a legitimate presidential candidate. While Smith is not a "spoiler" since as a third, independent candidate he would lose and take votes from both sides, the pollster who worked with Torre on the survey concluded, “Based on what I see in these numbers, he should run.” 

You can watch the full episode below.


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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.