Stephen A. Smith has spent years positioning himself as a highly quotable Democrat on cable and sports radio. And for sure, he sounds like a reasonable Democrat most of the time. He agrees that biological men shouldn’t be allowed to play women’s sports. That position alone puts him at odds with the Democrat base. And considering there are rumors he wants to run for political office someday, maybe even president, that says something.
But on Thursday, the ESPN and SiriusXM host told his audience that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) might be the one Republican capable of pulling him across the aisle.
“And I ain’t no damn Republican, but I mean if anybody could make me one, it would be him. I’m just going to keep it a buck. I’m just letting you know,” Smith said of Donalds on his podcast.
Smith's timing wasn't an accident. Florida Republicans are just days from picking their nominee for governor.
He didn't hold back. Smith described Donalds as tough, sharp, and unshaken, someone he's watched go toe-to-toe with Democrats and hostile guests without flinching. He called him "the real deal." Smith also admitted the two talk regularly off the record and that he has nothing negative to say about him. A campaign official for Donalds confirmed to Fox News Digital on Friday that the two are, in fact, personal friends.
Here's the problem.
Smith is still a registered Democrat, and Democrats don't typically go around auditioning Republicans for their approval unless something else is going on.
Smith didn't just praise Donalds. He pressed him, too, asking whether black voters might view him with suspicion given how tightly he's aligned himself with President Donald Trump. Smith answered the question himself by revealing his own skepticism of the party he claims to belong to. He said he doesn't apologize for asking what Democrats have actually delivered for black voters, and he admitted he's grown distrustful of his own party, even while insisting he tries to stay fair-minded about it.
ICYMI: More Signs the Dem Establishment Stole the Election From Hong?
So what's actually happening here? I have a theory. Smith's brand of more center-left, occasionally moderate-sounding commentary makes him a hard sell inside a Democrat Party that has drifted further left with every election cycle to the point of being insane. Even rabid leftist Bill Maher calls out his side regularly. So in that respect, there’s nothing all that abnormal about Smith’s pivot here. There have long been whispers that Smith is eyeing a run for office, maybe even the presidency. A guy who can't fully commit to the craziest policies of his own party isn't going to win a Democrat primary. He might find a much friendlier reception on the other side.
There are crazier things that have been considered. Many think that Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) should become a Republican. I don’t, but the 5% of the time he bucks his party is enough to get people thinking out loud. I have no idea where Smith truly stands on the ideological spectrum; I just know that wherever it is, the Democrats won’t be welcoming him with open arms.
Make no mistake about it: Smith didn't stumble into this. He's been laying the groundwork for some time now, and Thursday's love letter to Donalds reads like the next step in a deliberate rebrand.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help PJ Media continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member