A lot of people are tired of hearing Stephen A. Smith talk about a possible run for U.S. president in 2028.
Yet it might be impossible to find anyone more annoyed with Smith’s “I might run”/”I’m not running” flip-flops than Wyatt Cenac.
The comedian and actor appeared on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast Tuesday and went scorched earth on Smith. Torre, who recently commissioned a poll on Smith’s possible candidacy, brought up “whether Stephen A. Smith is actually going to do the thing that he’s been saying for months now and actually run for president.”
“That’s all so bull****,” Cenac said. “Everything he’s saying is bull****. It’s just like, ‘Oh, if I put the time in, I could totally run for president.’ He might as well say, ‘Oh, if I put six months in, I could fight Mike Tyson.’
“All he’s doing is just talking. There is nothing serious. He is the most unserious human being who just likes the attention. … The egomaniac wants people to talk about him and you just did it, and you tricked me … into taking part in this. And I want no part of it, Pablo. … Because he doesn’t want this. He just wants attention.”
As noted earlier, Pablo Torre Finds Out recently commissioned a Rasmussen Poll on Smith’s viability as a candidate, which yielded some surprises.
When matched against Kamala Harris in a hypothetical Democratic primary, Smith trailed the former VP and 2024 nominee 45% to 24%. Smith did much better against U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whom he trailed 32% to 28%, and he trailed California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 31% to 28%.
Smith has been all over the map on a possible presidential run. Smith told The View in November he “would definitely consider” running for president if he had a chance to win. He went through a power phase explaining how he’d be a great candidate and president, boasting “I’m qualified to be a hellraiser” and “I’d bring hell. Hell! Cause I ain’t playing. I’m there to win.”
And just last month, he said, “I can beat them all,” when discussing potential candidates in 2028.
He had a flip-flop phase, during which he said, in almost the same breath, he had “no intentions of running for the presidency” but “it’s something I would consider.”
Many political observers have dismissed Smith’s potential political ambitions. Democratic pundit James Carville said, “Are you s***ting me?” when informed that Smith was considering a run.
Smith’s agent, Endeavor president Mark Shapiro, said last month that Smith “will not run for president.”
Anyone who believes that’s the final word doesn’t know politics — or Smith.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.