Secretary of State Marco Rubio received a surprising endorsement from Fox News star Sean Hannity’s new podcast on Monday.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said he was ruling out a 2028 presidential run – and wanted Rubio to run instead.
Smith made the declaration on the premiere episode of Fox News host Sean Hannity’s new podcast, “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” shutting down months of speculation about a potential White House bid — and then dropping a political bombshell in the same breath.
Hannity got straight to it.
“2028’s coming pretty quick,” he told Smith. “I think it’s all bullsh*t. I don’t think you’re running. Am I right?”
“I don’t think I’m running either, because I gotta give up my money,” Smith explained. “I ain’t giving up my money, Sean. Sean, I ain’t giving up my money. I can tell you right now, let me put the presidential aspirations to bed. If I have to give up my money, it’s not happening.”
Smith has a reported $100 million, five-year contract with ESPN that was signed last March, along with a separate SiriusXM deal worth more than $10 million annually.
The bigger headline, however, came when Smith turned to the question of who he would actually support in 2028. Despite being a Democrat, Smith said Rubio is one of three candidates he’d support — placing him above prominent members of his own party, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“He’s an adult in the room. There is no questioning his qualifications for the job,” Smith said of Rubio. “Yes. I’d vote for Marco Rubio over anybody that’s out there right now other than Wes Moore or Josh Shapiro.”
Take a look —
“I’d vote for Marco Rubio.”
Stephen A Smith calls Rubio the adult in the room.
Full episode drops tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/QpztIpUGtt
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) March 9, 2026
Smith’s other two picks — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — are both Democrats.
But endorsing Rubio as his top choice over the Democratic Party’s biggest names is a stunning move from one of sports media’s most prominent liberal voices.
It’s not the first time Smith has endorsed Rubio. Last fall, he told his SiriusXM audience that Rubio “gets things done” and ranked him above Vice President JD Vance as a 2028 contender.
“I put him above Vice President Vance, I can tell you that much,” Smith said.
Smith has described himself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, and has been an increasingly outspoken critic of the Democratic Party’s direction. He has previously warned that Democrats cannot take Black voters for granted and challenged the party to “earn” their support.