Stephen A's Take: Presidential Run 2028, I've been approach by governors, mayors and other elected officials.

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Stephen A's Take: Presidential Run 2028, I've Been Approached by Governors, Mayors and Other Elected Officials"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Stephen A. Smith Show
• Host: Stephen A. Smith and iHeartPodcasts
• Episode Title: Stephen A's Take: Presidential Run 2028, I've Been Approached by Governors, Mayors and Other Elected Officials
• Release Date: April 9, 2025

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1. Introduction to the Presidential Run

In this compelling episode, Stephen A. Smith delves into the stirring topic of a potential presidential run in 2028. Having been approached by various governors, mayors, and elected officials, Smith opens up about his contemplations and the underlying motivations driving his consideration of a significant political move.

Notable Quote:

"I am no politician. I don't have a political record for them to lean on. They all do."
— Stephen A. Smith [05:53]

2. Motivation Behind Considering a Presidential Run

Smith articulates his primary motivation: dissatisfaction with the current state of American politics and governance. He emphasizes his desire to address the nation’s pressing issues, emphasizing that his potential candidacy stems from a genuine concern for the country's direction rather than personal ambition.

Notable Quote:

"Our country is in a very, very bad spot. And when I'm perceived as somebody that is excoriating the left and favoring the right, those people don't know what they're talking about."
— Stephen A. Smith [05:53]

3. Critique of the Democratic Party

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Smith’s critique of the Democratic Party. He expresses frustration over the party’s perceived neglect of key demographics, particularly the Black and Hispanic communities, despite their substantial population percentages. Smith argues that the Democratic Party has become complacent, relying heavily on the loyalty of these communities without addressing their evolving needs.

Key Points:

• Black Community Support: Smith references historical support from the Black community since the civil rights era but laments recent alienation.
• Immigration Policies: He criticizes President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration, contrasting it with Barack Obama’s approach.
• Economic Concerns: Emphasis on the $37 trillion national deficit as evidence of mismanagement.

Notable Quotes:

"The Democratic Party has spent the last 55 plus years receiving the black vote. So what did we do? We were transparent in our support for one party, giving them a license to take us for granted."
— Stephen A. Smith [07:34]

"They forgot about us. They forgot about the economy, stupid. They forgot about if people have money in their pockets and they're living fruitful lives."
— Stephen A. Smith [09:15]

4. Critique of the Republican Party and Tariffs

Smith shifts focus to the Republican Party, particularly addressing former President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. While he supports the idea of tariffs to protect American industries, he criticizes the execution and unintended consequences of these policies, such as retaliatory tariffs from China and strained international alliances.

Key Points:

• Support for Tariffs: Agrees with Trump's stance on protecting American products.
• Execution Flaws: Points out the lack of foresight in anticipating China's retaliatory tariffs.
• Economic Impact: Concerns over potential recession and inflation due to ongoing tariff wars.

Notable Quotes:

"I support tariffs. I have no problem with it. I do believe that the United States has been paying too much money."
— Stephen A. Smith [10:06]

"What I'm averse to is how he's handling it... He's going after everybody. He didn't anticipate that China would come back with 34% tariffs of their own."
— Stephen A. Smith [11:43]

5. Vision for a New Political Path – Centrist Approach

Positioning himself as an independent and centrist alternative, Smith outlines his vision for bridging the partisan divide. He aspires to create a political coalition that values common-sense solutions over extreme party ideologies, emphasizing collaboration between Democrats and Republicans to address national issues effectively.

Key Points:

• Building a Coalition: Desire to include members from both parties in his potential administration.
• Focus on Economy and National Security: Prioritizing pragmatic solutions over partisan politics.
• Rejecting Extremes: Commitment to avoiding identity politics and maintaining a law-and-order stance.

Notable Quotes:

"I'm creating my own lane. I have no desire to be on either side."
— Stephen A. Smith [16:12]

"I would create a new lane. I'd be a centrist. Not quite like Clinton having to be dragged by Newt Gingrich."
— Stephen A. Smith [17:37]

6. Policy Proposals and Ideas

Smith shares several policy ideas aimed at fiscal responsibility and governmental accountability. These proposals reflect his business background and focus on efficiency, transparency, and reducing governmental overreach.

Key Policy Proposals:

• Flat Tax System: Supporting a flat tax rate for simplicity and fairness.
• Spending Limits for Congress: Proposing that Congress and the Senate be restricted to spending only 30% of tax revenue.
• Congressional Presence: Suggesting that legislators spend minimal time in Washington D.C., emphasizing accountability and efficiency.
• Reduction of National Debt: Addressing the $37 trillion deficit through prudent financial management.

Notable Quotes:

"Why can't you take 27%? Let's just throw that out. Work is 55 years and younger."
— Stephen A. Smith [22:12]

"Congress and senate only in D.C. two weeks per quarter to vote. Reduce the course. What the hell are you living in D.C. for?"
— Stephen A. Smith [25:49]

7. Concluding Remarks and Future Plans

In his concluding remarks, Smith reiterates his lack of desire to enter politics while keeping the door open for future possibilities. He emphasizes the urgency of addressing national issues and conveys that his potential candidacy is a response to the current political landscape rather than personal ambition. Smith also mentions upcoming media appearances to further discuss his stance and thoughts on the nation’s direction.

Notable Quotes:

"I have no desire to be a politician. I have no interest. But I have been asked by folks in the business world, folks in corporate America, folks on Capitol Hill... to strongly reconsider."
— Stephen A. Smith [26:08]

"Stephen A. Smith will happily invite Barack Obama back into the mix. I think he'll beat Donald Trump."
— Stephen A. Smith [18:10]

8. Anticipated Impact and Public Reception

Smith’s candid discussion is poised to resonate with listeners who feel disillusioned with traditional politics. By positioning himself as a centrist and a problem-solver, he seeks to attract voters from across the political spectrum who are eager for substantive change and effective governance.

Overall Themes:

• Frustration with the Status Quo: A clear dissatisfaction with current political parties and their handling of national issues.
• Desire for Effective Leadership: Emphasis on pragmatic solutions and bipartisan cooperation.
• Accountability and Transparency: Focus on reducing national debt and ensuring governmental accountability.

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Conclusion:

In this thought-provoking episode, Stephen A. Smith lays bare his contemplations regarding a presidential run in 2028, driven by a deep-seated concern for the nation's trajectory. Through incisive critiques of both major political parties and the presentation of centrist policy ideas, Smith positions himself as a potential agent of change aimed at uniting a divided electorate and steering the country towards fiscal responsibility and effective governance.

Transcript

[Stephen A. Smith]

At&t has a new guarantee because most things in life are not guaranteed, like getting through self checkout by yourself. Not guaranteed in a world where Nothing is guaranteed. AT&T is bringing something new to the table. AT&T is introducing a guarantee with connectivity you can depend on, deals you want and service you deserve or they make it right. Learn [e-mail] guarantee@&t connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguarantee for details.

[Hitcham]

Have you ever wondered, if your pet is lying to you, why is my.

[Unknown Speaker]

Cat not here and I go in and she's eating my lunch?

[Hitcham]

Or if hypnotism is real, we will use the suggestion in order to enhance your cognitive control. But what's inside a black hole?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Black holes could be a consequence of the way that we understand the universe.

[Hitcham]

Well, we have answers for you in the new I Heart Original podcast Science Stuff. Join me or Hitcham as we answer questions about animals, space, our brains and our bodies. So give yourself permission to be a science geek and listen to science stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Speaker]

I have no desire to be a politician. My life is pretty well But I've decided I'm no longer going to close that door. I'm going to keep my options open. I'm going to entertain the possibility. And if the if, if it comes in 2020, late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and I think it's an absolute mess and there's legitimate reason to believe, whether it's via exploratory committees or anything else, that I indeed would have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States. I am not going to rule it out and I'm not playing. I'm going to be very, very calm today because I don't want the excuses coming my way about I'm enraged, I'm angry, and all of this other stuff. I'm a human being. I get disgusted by certain things that I see sometimes and sometimes I don't. But I think today is an important day. Because I think today that I'm going to be, dare I say, a bit more revealing than I ever have been about where I stand on a few things in life. It's clearly necessary in light of the headlines that have been scurrying all over the place over the last 24 hours. That's where we're going to get started. Headlines made by yours truly. Specifically yesterday at the national association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was sitting down for a conversation fireside chat with Mike McVeigh, president of McVeigh Media, somebody who's been a mentor and a friend to me for years, helped me resurrect my career in this business. After I was gone in 2009, he asked me about my future as a potential presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. For those of you who didn't see it, here's more of my response. Piggybacking off of that cold open you just saw to those very questions. Listen up right here. I just think that it's a mess right now. I'm not scared. There's a lot that I have to learn. I am no aficionado, make no mistake about it. But damn it, let me hunker down for two or three months. I'll know the issues. And once that happens, then imagining me on a debate stage with these people, these politicians, this is what I do for a living. And if for no other reason than to stand on the debate stage with tens of millions of people watching, where I get to sit back and talk about what you've been doing as politicians to literally dissipate and disintegrate the quality of America before our very eyes because of your own selfishness. Me having an opportunity to do that. That is what I mean when I say I will eat them alive. I am not a politician. I don't have a political record for them to lean on. They all do. Which means I get to look at your record and what you've done and challenge whether you can legitimately say, not just with the cameras rolling, but in front of my face, that you actually operated on behalf of what was in the best interest of all of America. Who's going to pull that off in front of my face? Good luck with that. I wish they would. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd love to sit up here and tell you that I didn't mean what I said, but I do. And I think the time has arrived to let you all know this is not something that I plan. Contrary to people bloviating out there on their podcasts and stuff like that, I'm no political aficionado. There's so much that I have to learn about the intricacies of politics and all that it entails, particularly as it pertains to dealing with people on Capitol Hill. My God, I wouldn't even know how to put a staff together as of yet. We understand that part. But what I've tried to say to many people on many, many occasions is that I'm an American citizen. I'm a voter. And what has transpired throughout the years, as far as I'm concerned, has been reprehensible. I'm a believer that the American people have been played as suckers for decades, that we've allowed politicians to become career politicians to sit up there and pad their own wallets and look out for their own self interest. And it's been at the expense of the American people. My proof is the fact that we have a $37 trillion deficit. How is that possible? How could you possibly be doing your job and be $37 trillion in debt? How could you do that? It's really. Certain things are just very, very simplistic to me. Of course that's not the only problem that we have. But something needs to be said.

And when I say what I said.

People can dismiss it all they want to. Because I have no desire to be a politician. I'm sincere with that. I just signed a multi year contract extension with ESPN that will pay me exponentially more than being a politician would ever pay me. I don't need politics. But the fact is, is that our country is in a very, very bad spot. And when I'm perceived as somebody that is excoriating the left and favoring the right, those people don't know what they're talking about. But I understand where their animus towards me comes from. It comes from a place of me constantly pointing the finger at the Democratic Party because the Republican Party, the gop, as far as I was concerned, until the latest election, they had given up on the black community years ago. Let me reiterate or remind you rather what has transpired since 1964 when civil rights legislation came into effect. There was a president by the name of Lyndon B. Johnson who had succeeded President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. And even though you have both Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress pushing for civil rights legislation, there were adversaries to that. And Lyndon B. Johnson said, if we push this through, we will have the Negroes voting for us for the next 200 years. I'm paraphrasing, but I'm pretty sure it's pretty close to that quote. Well, lo and behold, what has happened since then?

The Democratic Party has spent the last.

55 plus years receiving the black vote.

So what did we do? We were transparent in our support for.

One party, giving them a license to take us for granted. And we alienated the other party who.

Naturally assumed they'd have no shot at getting our votes. And as a result, as a community, for the most part, we were disenfranchised, which speaks to some of the problems.

That we have had.

I only bring that up to say it is legitimate. When I look at the Democratic Party and I have an attitude, because I'm looking at you and I'm saying, how the hell did you forget about us? The black community makes up nearly 14% of the population. The Hispanic community makes up nearly 20% of the population. The consensus bureau report shows that by the year 2030, the Hispanic populace in this country would exceed over 30% of the population. But we were talking about woke culture and cancel culture. We were talking about problems that really, really didn't address what really existed in our communities. We had a president of Barack Obama, who quietly, adroitly, skillfully went about the business of patrolling our borders and making sure that immigration issues were addressed. Absent comprehensive immigration reform, what does Joe Biden do? He goes into office and he says, open the damn borders. And over 12 million undocumented immigrants cross the borders, all contributing to our problems.

Why shouldn't I have an attitude?

Why shouldn't I look at that and say, it's a problem.

You forgot about us.

Why shouldn't I look at you? And I and I heard you talk about. Think about the sound bites we saw. And I'm gonna get to the Republicans in a second because we all know Trump and his tariffs is a problem right now. But I'll get to that in a second. What do we see? We saw Biden in office. We saw him clearly debilitated. Every 80 plus year old is not as debilitated as he appeared, but he did appear that way. Yet we saw Democratic politicians standing on Capitol Hill chanting, four more years. We now learned how we was religiously lied to about his state of mind and his capabilities. We saw Chuck Schumer lie to us. We saw a plethora of politicians on the left trying to defend and support him, only to throw him by the wayside after the debate on June 27. And the very person in Kamala Harris, who I respect as our former vice president, became the Democratic nominee all of a sudden. The same woman that couldn't make it to the Iowa caucuses in 2020 was a rock star. And if we didn't all buy in, we were misogynist, we were anti women, we were racist. We were all anything you could come up with, you heard it over and over and over again. That is where my disgust comes from when it comes to the left, when I say they forgot about us, they forgot about it's the economy, stupid. They forgot about if people have money in their pockets and they're living fruitful lives, that they have something to lose. And as a result, society, from a societal perspective, people will act better. Because if you have something to lose, guess what? You ain't trying to lose it. You're not trying to lose it. Why do I bring up loss? Why is it appropriate at this particular moment in time? Because we've got these tariffs, these tariff wars going on. And there are some people, particularly on the side of Trump, they are all in support of tariffs. Let me be the first to say this about Donald Trump. I support tariffs. I have no problem with it. I do believe that the United States has been paying too much money. We've been giving up too much. Give too much money out. You go to foreign countries, you see people, they talk about how you don't see American vehicles, you don't see American products nearly as much as you see other products from other nations. This is what they say. If that is true, then Trump is right. We are getting hosed and something needs to be done about it. I am not averse to Donald Trump with tariffs.

What I'm averse to is how he's handling it.

I'm averse to the fact that you're going to go after everybody. I'm averse to the fact that you didn't anticipate that China would come back with 34% tariffs of their own and in the process of doing so would set up meetings with allies of the United States that are now threatening not to be allies because they had Trump's dad tariffs imposed on them by Trump. And now because of that, they're turning against the United States and to China. Now, only time will tell whether Trump's right. Only time will tell whether or not we're going to find ourselves in a disastrous situation. Whether recession is in place right now, whether inflation is going to boom. Only time will tell. But it's a short time. I don't want to hear a year. I don't want to hear two years. That's we can't afford that. Why do I bring all of this up? Because all of this is the kind of stuff that made me say what I said yesterday at the national association for Broadcasters Convention, because enough's enough. I don't want to do this. My hope is that politicians who are centrist, who think about the economy, who think about being humane, who think about small businesses, who think about education, who think about our borders, who think about our national security, can coalesce with one another, engage in common sense thinking and come to conclusions. So somebody like me isn't necessary. You want to talk about Donald Trump and a potential third term when you want to circumvent the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution and Donald Trump ends up running for a third term. Stephen A. Smith will happily invite Barack Obama back into the mix. I think he'll beat Donald Trump. Yes. I said it because I think at his core, regardless of what people want to say about how he governed, I think he's a centrist individual. It's just that both sides were polar opposites against one another. I am not oblivious to the fact that since Obama was in office, there was a white backlash that took place. I am not oblivious to the fact that that made folks hunker down and be even more divided than ever before. I get it. I understand it. That black man in office spewing liberal policies, telling folks they got to get to the back because they lost the election, that this is our time, fall back. We running the show now. And the boldness and how emboldened he felt because he was the President of the United States. How much that turned folks off and made them more resolute in going against him. And as a result, we were even more divided as a nation than ever before. I get that. I remember the joke that Cat Williams once told, God damn effing up the country is what it done. Goddamn entitlements. Go watch Katt Williams talking about how folks were feeling about Obama during his presidency, during his presidency who weren't black. The flip side to it, however, is that it's not about black or white anymore.

It's about America.

Just like a rising tide lifts all boats.

As a nation, we're only stronger. Strongest is our weakest link. And if you have the weak and the desolate amongst us and you're doing nothing for them and you're leaving them out to pasture, where does that leave us?

See, when I think about the Republicans, I think the Republicans are asking us, particularly Trump, Trust me. And by the way, he's in a position to do it because he won the popular vote. He won the Electoral College vote. He won every swing state. He won both houses of Congress. He's got a majority, 6, 3 in the Supreme Court.

I mean, damn Americans didn't just give it to him.

He took it because.

He recognized what the left wasn't doing.

They were preoccupied with nonsense. You want to ask why Stephen A. Smith felt the need to speak up at the NAB conference? Let me Ask y'all this question. We supposed to leave it to Bernie Sanders and AOC and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

We're supposed to leave it with individuals.

That will tell you that it's perfectly okay to tax 70% of your money. Not that they gave out that number. I'm just speculating because of how socialistic.

They are in their thinking. We supposed to say that that's okay?

Y'all okay with that? You okay with going to work and making $100 and walking home with 30? You sure about that? Are you cool with it? Just tell me. Because these are the kind of questions that we have to ask ourselves. That is why I spoke up. I am an independent. That's who I am. I'm not on either side. I'm not on both sides, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm creating my own lane. I have no desire to be on either side.

Donald Trump has his alkalites. He has his surrogates.

He has people in the bullpen.

It could be a Marco Rubio. It could be a J.D. vance. It could be somebody that we don't even know. Coming from a Republican Party, I sincerely doubt as Marjorie Taylor Greene, I could.

Tell you that much.

But they got people on the right. That's why everybody talks about me on the left. It's not just because I voted Democrat.

And I voted for Kamala Harris.

It's because that's the side I see myself on.

But.

But you're kind of wrong about that.

Too, because I don't.

When I think about me and I think about me running for President of the United States, let me re emphasize.

That I am woefully unqualified. But a lot of people say, so is he. And you put him in. A lot of people look at his Cabinet members and the positions he has them in.

They're there. Let me tell you something about Stephen A. Smith.

Let me get this out of the way again. I would create a new lane. I'd be a centrist.

Not quite like Clinton having to be.

Dragged by Newt Gingrich to work with the right so you can ultimately leave office with a surplus.

I would have done so voluntarily.

I want to work with both sides of the aisle. I'd have Democrats and Republicans in my Cabinet. They would be the ones butting heads and fighting. But their mandate would be to come to me with an idea that works for America. No one can have everything.

In other words, I'm building a coalition. That's what I would want to do. Not just a stance that wouldn't Be me. One of my friends wrote notes for me and stuff like that because he was ironing out, man, if you were running for president, man, this is what you should be. Some things he said that were right, some things he said that were wrong. Because it's amazing, no matter how much I'm on television, no matter how much I'm in the public eye, people still don't know who the hell I am. So let me give you an idea of who that person is. It's about problem solving. It's about fixing the issues that really, really matter. It's about caring about all of America, not just a segment of our population. It's about all of those things. You'd know who I am, just like you know who Donald Trump is. That's the problem with the Democratic Party. You don't know who the hell they are and you don't know who their leader, who can lead them. You don't have any clue. I think a guy like Wesmore out of Maryland could do it. I think a guy like Josh Shapiro out of Pennsylvania could do it. But we all know they'll have their critics from a national perspective. You talk about Westmore as a governor of Maryland. Joshua Pierre was the governor of Pennsylvania. Okay? Those are localized individuals. Andrew Cuomo trying to come back as mayor of New York. He was about to be a fourth, a four term governor in New York before his troubles invaded the proceedings and he was booted out of all. He had to. He had to resign from office and now he's trying to make a comeback. Of course there are individuals as professional politics who are far more qualified than me. But haven't y'all been paying attention? The American people don' Clear clearly don't want politicians. They don't mind having a populist in the White House. They don't mind having somebody that they.

Can lean towards and they can say.

At least we know him, at least we trust that he's going to be who he is. You might not like Donald Trump with the tariffs. He told you he was going to do it. Some people might not like what Donald Trump is doing with the borders, but from a 95 percentile success rate, they say he's doing his job with the borders. Inflation is still an issue. A recession is in play if not on its way. So certainly there are things that he hasn't done. But he's asking you to give him time because he's got to fight with these people. The war in Ukraine, with Russia. We don't like the fact that it Seems like he sided with Russia, but what his people are saying is, wait a minute. Do you want World War iii? Bottom line, we're trying to stop all of this stuff. I look at Russia, I think they're trying to take control of Europe. I look at China, they're making footprints, they're gaining footprints in Africa and other places in the world. Why? Because they look. They're looking for minerals. They want to make sure they take care of their own people, amongst other.

Things that they want to do.

These people are not pro America. They're anti America. We understand they're the enemy, but what are we going to do about it? At some point in time, you got to ask yourself these questions. I don't want to come across as.

Somebody who's trying to engage in some kind of war over identity politics.

Maybe I have to monitor my tone, and that's fair. But when I think about me and what I want to do, I want you to know that I'm somebody who rejects party extremes.

I'm not interested in that.

I am a law and order dude.

Make no mistake about that.

You commit crimes, your ass gonna be in jail.

If I was in. If I was in. If I was in control, I will.

Throw your ass in jail in a heartbeat. I don't like criminals.

I don't like people who scared the public from living their normal lives.

National security is a big deal with me. Trade, as opposed to trade. Wars are a big deal to me. Immigration, I tell you this right now. See, crazy as it sounds, outside of.

The criminals, because we don't need lawless.

First of all, lawless Americans should be in jail. And lawless people who ain't American should.

Be out of the country.

Outside of them. Guess what I'm doing, ladies and gentlemen? I'm not. I'm not throwing anybody out of the country. I'm not deporting anybody. You know what I'm doing outside of those criminals? I'm leaving others alone.

But the border shut down. Nobody comes in, nobody. Until we get our house in order.

For at least the first year, shutting it down, got a year. Got to get our house in order. That's how I look at it. I'm saying all of this to say, while I'm no aficionado, I'm not completely lost and oblivious to the problems that are pervasive in our country. It matters to me. I want to make sure that it matters to you. And I want to make sure that you understand that in the process of us doing these things, we got to do better we just have to. I'm thinking about some stuff that I wrote down for 10th flat tax with the top 1% making $200,000 or so. I'm looking at it from the standpoint that why do I support a flat tax? I'm tired of you coming to me. And one day is 33 another way, at 35 another way is 39% of my money that you could take as the federal government. Nah. Why can't you take 27%? Let's just throw that out. Work is 55 years and younger. Can diversify a percentage of their income from Social Security. One of my boys gave me that idea. I kind of like that. Kind of like that. How about Congress only being allowed to spend 30% of tax revenue? How about them being forced to sit in the nation's capital and actually work for the American people instead of themselves? I'm still baffled as to how you can be a Congressional figure or a Senate figure and you may have entered the nation's capital with debt, but now when you look at your financial portfolio, it might be worth millions. What's going on there? I don't understand that. And then I look at a $37 trillion debt. Am I supposed to believe that we're just spending willy nilly on all of these things and no money is coming into your pockets as politicians? What's the number one reason? I tell you, outside of being private and not wanting stress in my life as to why I'm not interested in politics, it's cause I'm getting paid. And what I'm getting paid, politics ain't gonna pay me. That's my position.

And then I look at some of these reports of what politicians are worth. I'm not gonna mention any names, but we got politicians that were in debt, that were paying student loans. We got politicians that didn't have but so much money, their net worth was in the thousands.

And now it's how. How? I'm just saying. By the way, one of my boys.

Gave me this idea.

Congress and senate only in D.C. two.

Weeks per quarter to vote. Reduce the course.

What the hell you living in D.C. for?

For what? You ain't doing no work. Just a suggestion. All I'm saying is that as you look at these things and you look at me, I am very sincere when.

I tell you I have no desire.

To be a politician. I have no interest. But I have been asked by folks in the business world, folks in corporate America, folks on Capitol Hill, plus folks who are friends of mine to strongly reconsider and to at least leave the door open to the possibilities because you never know what state our country could be in in the next three years or so. STEPHEN A. Just don't shut the door. Just don't shut the door.

Please.

Just don't shut the door. That's all I was saying yesterday. But what I want y'all to understand is that I had every right to say was necessary because of everything going on, not just in our nation's capital with this tariffs war, but also how helpless the Democratic side is to do anything about it. All they can do is complain for the moment, nothing else. They don't have the seats. And we want to rave about Cory Booker, who we respect, speaking on the floor in the US house for 25 hours plus. But what are we really power? What are we really empowered to do? The party isn't empowered. So it comes down to the people. And one of the people spoke up, that's all. Just want to let y'all know where I'm at. Not interested in running. Hope it doesn't come to that, but I was told I owe it to all of us to at least leave the door open. That's what I did. By the way, this week, this Sunday I'm scheduled to speak to be on this Week with George Stephanopoulos on abc and practically every other network is called. They're apparently taking it very seriously, so I have no choice but to do so.

[Stephen A. Smith]

AT&T has a new guarantee because most things in life are not guaranteed, like getting through self checkout by yourself. Not guaranteed in a world where Nothing is guaranteed. AT&T is bringing something new to the table. AT&T is introducing a guarantee with connectivity you can depend on, deals you want and service you deserve or they make it right. Learn [e-mail] guarantee@ connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.com guarantee for details.

[Jenice Torres]

Hey, Jenice Torres here and I'm Austin Hankwitz. We're the hosts of Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories produced by Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. Catch up on seasons one and two and join us for a brand new season of the podcast as we talk to small business owners about how they manage and grow their businesses with the help of platforms like Intuit QuickBooks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Listen to mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.