Stephen A. Smith is not sold on JD Vance as a future president, and he is not being quiet about it. The longtime ESPN personality made his position clear during a recent appearance on a nationally syndicated talk program, where he shared his thinking on the Republican field heading into the 2028 election cycle.
From his self-described centrist perspective, Smith said he strongly favors Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the current vice president. He pointed to Rubio’s experience across multiple high-level government roles as evidence that the Florida politician carries himself with a steadiness and maturity that Vance, in his view, has yet to demonstrate.
The Trump imitation problem
Smith’s central concern with Vance is not about intelligence or political knowledge. It is about originality. He argued that the vice president comes across as someone more focused on mirroring President Donald Trump than on carving out his own identity as a leader. That pattern, Smith suggested, raises serious doubts about whether Vance could or would govern for the full breadth of the American public rather than a narrow base of supporters.
Rubio, by contrast, struck Smith as a broader and more presidential figure. Someone who could draw from a wider coalition and project a more inclusive vision of leadership. It is a notable distinction for a political commentator who has grown increasingly willing to wade into partisan waters.
Vance and the pope controversy
The timing of Smith’s remarks lands against the backdrop of a fresh controversy involving Vance. After President Trump publicly clashed with Pope Leo XIV over criticism tied to the administration’s position on the war in Iran, Vance stepped in to defend the president. At a conservative event this week, the vice president suggested the pope should exercise more caution when weighing in on matters of theology, a comment that drew immediate attention given that Vance himself is Catholic.
The episode struck many observers as another example of the dynamic Smith had just described. A vice president moving in lockstep with the president rather than operating as a distinct voice, even on a matter as personal as faith.
Smith’s political voice grows louder
Smith has spent years building one of the most recognizable brands in sports media, but his willingness to speak plainly about national politics has become a defining feature of his public profile. His commentary on Vance and Rubio reflects a broader pattern of engaging directly with electoral and governance questions that traditional sports personalities have historically avoided.
Whether or not his views carry weight in political circles, Smith’s platform is enormous. Millions follow his takes on everything from NBA trades to presidential politics, and his framing of the Vance-versus-Rubio debate is likely to resonate in spaces well beyond sports television.
With 2028 still two years away, the Republican field remains wide open. But Smith has made his preference known early and with characteristic confidence.
