Chris Christie Thinks Stephen A. Smith Will Eventually Run For President

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Stephen A. Smith has teased a career in politics for years. And according to former GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie, it's going to happen sooner or later.

Earlier this week, Washington Post reporter Ben Strauss wrote a profile piece on Smith. In the interview, the longtime ESPN anchor took a humble approach to his potential run for office.

"The only office that would do it for me is the presidency of the United States," Smith said. "And I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell the American people would ever vote for me."

Stephen A. Smith

(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Christie, on the other hand, thinks he'd have a real shot at the Oval Office.

"Either party would be foolish not to be willing to talk to him," Christie told the Post. "I don’t think it’s imminent, but will he run someday? I think it’s more likely than not that he would."

The two men are friends, and last summer, Smith took some heat for tweeting out a link to Chris Christie's website. While primarily a Democratic voter, Smith has criticized the Democratic Party for choosing an 81-year-old Joe Biden as its nominee. And while he's no fan of Donald Trump either, he argued the Democratic Party’s strategy to entangle Trump in legal problems ahead of the election would not sit well with voters.

Chris Christie Thinks Stephen A. Smith Will Eventually Run For President

Chris Christie believes Stephen A. Smith will run for president.

(Getty Images & USA TODAY Sports)

Whether he pursues politics or not, Smith has made it abundantly clear he wants to be more than just a sports commentator. In addition to starting a podcast, writing a book, dabbling in acting and gracing our television sets via ESPN every day, Smith said in May 2023 that he wants to dominate the entire TV industry.

"I’m not satisfied with what I've accomplished on television in the world of sports," Smith said. "I want to end my career being recognized as arguably the greatest television talent in history. That's what I want to do. That’s what I want to accomplish."

Then maybe he'll run for president.