More than one month into President Donald Trump’s second term, there perhaps hasn’t been a more polarizing figure to Americans than Elon Musk.
To some, his efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are providing the exact audit of our government and its spending that they’ve desperately lacked. To others, he’s an unelected billionaire leveraging his relationship with the president to act in his own self-interest, among the several other criticisms he’s received over the years.
But while Stephen A. Smith understands some of the skepticism regarding Musk, the ESPN star is willing to give him a chance. And during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity on Thursday, Smith encouraged his fellow Americans to do the same.
“Elon Musk, he’s not born here. They’re making this argument he’s not an elected official, he hasn’t been confirmed by the senate and all of this. Let me explain something: I get the discomfort,” Smith told host Sean Hannity. “What they’re missing is that you messed things up so badly over the last several years. Give the man a chance to see what he does!
“I’m looking at Donald Trump, I’m not comfortable with everything that I’m seeing. I’m not comfortable with everything that he’s doing like you are. But the flip side to it is that you are willing to see the results before I engage in condemnation. See, that’s the problem. The partisanship, they’re already showing it. And they’re echoing exactly what they were doing about the campaign, which means that they’re not going to resonate and they’re going to ensure that the Republicans probably win the midterms and then get four more years come 2028 because the same song and dance with the same argument is not going to cut the mustard.”
While one could certainly question whether some of Musk’s behavior deserves a “wait and see” approach, there’s certainly something to the idea that criticisms that appear to be pre-determined based on partisanship now fall on deaf ears. It’s a part of the reason why Smith has already emerged as an unlikely potential presidential candidate for 2028, a possibility he’s admitted he’s open to.
It’s also worth noting that Smith has previously been among those to criticize Musk, calling the X owner a “problem” earlier this month. The First Take star’s willingness to seemingly shift his message based on his audience, however, might just be the best indication we’ve gotten that he’s actually considering a run for office in 2028.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.