ESPN and SiriusXM personality Stephen A. Smith showered Secretary of State Marco Rubio with praise in a clip of his “Straight Shooter with Stephen A” show that circulated widely on X, calling him “the real deal” and citing what he described as impeccable credentials. In the same clip, posted Wednesday, Mr. Smith also credited Vice President JD Vance and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as formidable political talents.
According to the clip, Mr. Smith argued that Mr. Rubio’s resume — a former longtime senator, now secretary of state, who is bilingual and of Cuban descent — makes him a serious 2028 contender.
“I think Rubio is the real deal,” Mr. Smith said. In the same clip, he’s heard crediting Mr. Vance with being sharp and comfortable on camera, and calling Mr. DeSantis an effective executive despite policy disagreements, adding that he doesn’t hear widespread complaints about how Florida is run since he moved there himself. The Washington Times could not independently verify those specific remarks beyond the circulating clip.
The comments are consistent with a broader pattern from Mr. Smith, a self-described former Kamala Harris voter who has said he regrets that vote. In an appearance on Dave Rubin’s show in late February, Mr. Smith called Mr. Rubio “an adult in the room” while drawing a sharper contrast with Mr. Vance, saying, “I look at JD Vance, and I see somebody that aspires to be Trumpish, engaging in populism as opposed to actually getting the work done.” In October, Mr. Smith predicted that no Democrat could beat a Vance-Rubio ticket in 2028. He has also defended Mr. Rubio against Democratic criticism, rejecting Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., claim that he regretted voting to confirm him as secretary of state.
Mr. Smith has ruled out a 2028 presidential run of his own, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity in March that he wasn’t willing to give up his broadcasting income. He has named Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, both Democrats, as his preferred 2028 candidates.
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