NBA legend Charles Barkley would not vote for Stephen A. Smith if the ESPN personality actually ran as a Democratic candidate for the 2028 Presidential Election.
The popular sports broadcaster has received calls to run for president following his recent speeches. He recently issued a number of damning verdicts on the Democratic Party in order to shed light on some of the broader issues affecting the country – which impressed onwatching fans.
Thanks to his infamous rants more commonly adapted to sports, Smith’s willingness to speak out on certain subjects has prompted more voices to clamor for him to take the situation seriously. This was evidenced in a recent 2028 primary poll when Smith fell just one point behind former VP candidate Tim Walz and Pennsylvania’s current governor Josh Shapiro. Current U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, found a remarkable way to make himself taller when meeting Ohio State’s football team on Monday.
While Smith’s former colleague believes the 57-year-old could run, Barkley does not. During an appearance on the ‘SI Media with Jimmy Traina’ podcast, Barkley gave his thoughts on Smith potentially running.
“Jimmy, knock it off. Knock it off,” said Barkley when Traina brought up the possibility of Smith’s presidential campaign. “Stop it, stop it. Jimmy, come on man. You know I love you man. Knock it off.
“Calm down, Stephen A… And Stephen A. is one of my friends. C’mon, man. Stop it. C’mon. It had to start out as a joke and he started taking it serious. C’mon, man. All I would say is ‘knock it off.’ And that’s the best way to phrase it.”
Traina then asked if Barkley would vote for Smith should he end up on the ticket. Barkley made it clear where he stood in three words: “No. Hard no.”
Smith is an incredibly popular American sports television personality, radio host, and journalist. He makes frequent appearances as an NBA analyst for ESPN on SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, and the network’s NBA broadcasts, while he is currently negotiating a historic $20 million annual deal to continue his role with the program.
(Image: SI Media)
Perhaps Barkley could change his mind with the right campaign behind Smith. However, the former Phoenix Suns star believes the Democratic Party would “lose his support forever” as an independent if they didn’t choose either Josh Shapiro or Wes Moore as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028.
“Let me tell you this here,” Barkley said: “We lost the election fair and square. Because number one, she picked an awful running mate. But I’m gonna tell you this as an independent. If the Democrats don’t get Josh Shapiro, the Governor of Pennsylvania, or Wes Moore, the Governor of Maryland… If they are not the leader or the team-up for the Democratic Party, I will not even consider voting for anybody else other than those two.
“I think Josh Shapiro is amazing. I think Wes Moore is amazing. If the Democratic Party does not pick one of those two, they are gonna lose my support forever as an independent. I’m not gonna ever vote for Trump. He’s just not my cup of tea and obviously he can’t run again. But let me tell you this, if they don’t get Josh Shapiro or Wes Moore… I’m not voting for any Democrat other than those two.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
