ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Finally Addresses 2028 Presidential Rumors With Sean Hannity

In an interview with Sean Hannity debuting on Tuesday, Smith came clean about whether he will run for the nation’s highest office two years from now. Smith has been hinting about a possible run since at least August 2022, when he told fellow ESPN personality Paul Finebaum he would give it a shot if he thought he could win, even though he had “no desire to ever be a politician.”

Since then, Smith has maintained that if he did run, it would be as a Democrat. Smith also told “The View” in November 2024 that he would consider a run for the presidency if the American people demanded it.

“2028′s coming pretty quick,” Hannity said in the clip. “If you had to pick ― I think it’s all bullshit ― I don’t think you’re running. Am I right?”

“I don’t think I’m running either,” Smith said. ″’Cause I gotta give up my money [and] I ain’t giving up my money.”

Mediaite noted that Smith signed a contract extension with ESPN in March 2025, earning $100 million for the next five years. In September, he also signed a new contract with Sirius XM, which will pay him $36 million over three years.

“Let me put my presidential aspirations to bed,” Smith said. “If I have to give up my money, it’s not happening.”

Smith’s declaration that he will not be a 2028 candidate comes after years of describing the conditions needed for him to throw his hat in the ring. In April 2025, Smith claimed he was taking the possibility of a presidential run more seriously after being approached by “people on Capitol Hill,” “elected officials” and “governors or mayors or what have you” to take on the job. Last June, Smith said that both Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon had tried to coax him into running.