Trump Backs Stephen A. Smith For Possible 2028 Bid For President: ‘I’d Love To See Him Run’

During a lively phone interview on Wednesday, President Trump expressed enthusiasm at the idea of Stephen A. Smith entering the political arena — even suggesting he could see the well-known sports commentator as a future presidential candidate.

“I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you I’d love to see him run,” Trump, 78, said during his appearance on NewsNation.

The segment featured an unusual trio: Smith, former CNN host Chris Cuomo, and ex-Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly. It was O’Reilly who floated the notion of Smith tossing his hat in the ring, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether he was serious.

Responding to O’Reilly’s suggestion, Trump spoke admiringly of Smith: “Stephen A, he’s a good guy. He’s a smart guy. I love watching him.”

Trump went on to praise Smith’s charisma and media savvy, noting that such qualities are often lacking in the current crop of Democratic hopefuls. “He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him. You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I say they have no chance.”

The conversation took a more serious turn when Smith, who is black, questioned Trump about his administration’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs — pressing him on moves that appeared to weaken civil rights protections.

“Your administration has issued executive orders dismantling DEI initiative across federal agencies, including revoking equal opportunity mandates and slashing funding for minority owned businesses,” Smith told the president.

“Critics argue these actions reverse decades of civil rights progress. So how do you justify these measures, and what message do they send to the marginalized communities?”

In response, Trump pushed back, defending the philosophy behind his policy decisions.

“What we’re doing is we have a country that’s based solely on merit now, and that’s the way it is. If somebody’s out there doing a great job — and this includes getting into colleges if you’ve worked really hard — and we don’t look at race,” Trump said.

“We don’t look at color, we don’t look at height or shortness or weight. If somebody is doing a good job and they worked and they got great marks, and they got great board numbers, and they get rejected at Harvard, which has been so disgusting, so horribly. I mean, so think of it.”

{Matzav.com}