President Donald Trump just celebrated 100 days in office, but he’s already thinking about the next election. Unlike in recent months when he toyed with possibly running for a third term— which the Constitution explicitly denounces by the way— Trump is now posing another man add his name to the 2028 ballot.
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith joined Chris Cuomo and Bill O’Reilly for a town hall on Wednesday (April 30). Their conversation centered around Trump’s 100 days, and the president even joined in for a question and answer session. “He’s a disrupter,” O’Reilly said of Trump. But the discussion took an interesting turn when the 2028 election came up.
“Stephen A. Smith may run for president as you know,” O’Reilly jokingly mentioned to Trump. “Do you have any advice for Stephen A. if he launches the run?” The audience chuckled with laughter as Smith responded, “Oh my God,” while covering his face with his hand.
In response to O’Reilly, Trump began praising the ESPN personality. “Stephen A. is a good guy. He’s a smart guy,” Trump said. “I love watching him. He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him.”
But in a shocking turn of events, Trump went on to completely back Smith for the 2028 election. “I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you, I’d love to see him run,” he said. The crowd responded with tons of applause, but Smith didn’t seem too amused. He mostly kept a straight face and only smirked when the crowd began cheering for him.
Social media had a lot to say on the matter. On X, @MayNotBeJoking wrote, “Stephen A. Smith should know that he is not as embarrassed as most of us are... at that suggestion.”
@trottskyathome tweeted Smith might be more qualified than we think. “Well, he’s [Smith] got the ego for it anyway. The commentator is known for his outspoken opinions and unapologetic nature. He’s raked in millions of views on his podcast and his social media.
It’s unclear if Smith is taking any suggestions about him running for office seriously, but he wouldn’t be the first personality to storm the Oval Office. Former President Ronald Reagan was an actor before he ventured into politics. Most recently, Trump’s transformation from a playboy billionaire and reality TV show star to one of the most controversial figures in American politics will be studied for generations.