Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about making bold declarations. But seemingly, there is one job in Washington that even he wouldn’t mind taking a financial hit for. The White House press secretary isn’t it. The ESPN personality found himself at the White House again on Thursday, sitting down with President Donald Trump for an interview. Naturally, the vacant press secretary position came up. 

Given his recent appearances alongside Donald Trump, someone had to ask whether he might consider stepping into the role. Speaking with Sean Hannity, Stephen A. Smith laughed off the suggestion and made it clear that government service would require a serious sacrifice. 

“Evidently, they don’t know about the life that I live and the kind of affluence that ESPN and Disney have blessed me with,” he said. 

There is, however, one position that might tempt him.

“I wouldn’t take that pay cut for almost anything but the presidency,” he added. “And even then, you got to give it up before you campaign. That’s why that’s not going to happen. It would take the presidency, me winning the presidency, in order for me to even consider giving up what I have. That ain’t happening. Press secretary? Please.”

That is about as definitive as he gets. And the money explains the reaction. Stephen A. Smith isn’t just another television personality collecting a comfortable paycheck. He has built a media business around his name, with ESPN at the center of it. His five-year agreement with the network has been reported at roughly $100 million to $105 million, making him ESPN’s highest-paid on-air talent. 

That is already a substantial commitment. His other deals make the prospect of walking away even harder to imagine. Stephen A. Smith also has a three-year, $36 million agreement with SiriusXM. Add the money generated through his YouTube channel and podcast ventures, and reports put his annual earnings close to $40 million.

Now consider the alternative. The President of the United States earns an annual salary of $400,000. The White House press secretary position pays considerably less than Stephen A. Smith’s current media portfolio as well. Trading his broadcasting empire for a government communications job would be quite a financial adjustment.

The White House podium has been empty since October, when Trump fired press secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days on the job. Zacharia had replaced Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August to spend more time with her family. Desperate to fill the high-profile role, Trump even publicly offered the gig to longtime friend Dana White. The UFC CEO declined the offer. That left the speculation about potential replacements wide open, but Stephen A. Smith clearly isn’t interested.

Still, the question didn’t come out of nowhere. Stephen A. Smith has spent considerable time around the president recently, despite their differences on various political issues. On October 15, he joined Donald Trump, Bill Maher and Kid Rock for a lengthy dinner at the White House. The gathering reportedly lasted four-and-a-half hours, with politics, the economy and foreign policy among the subjects discussed.

Trump subsequently invited Smith and Maher back. Stephen A. Smith’s Thursday visit was part of that developing relationship, although this time he had a more specific assignment. And that’s interviewing the president for his YouTube program. He also mentioned discussing Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in connection with his program, Straight Shooter.

Seeing a loud, media-savvy personality get repeated face time with the president made reporters connect the dots. When Smith walked out into the White House driveway after his 40-minute sit-down on Thursday, the press corps immediately asked if he was taking the open spokesperson job, sparking the viral topic he later addressed with Hannity.

Political speculation has followed Stephen A. Smith for some time. He has occasionally entertained questions about a possible presidential campaign, including the possibility of a 2028 run. But he has also acknowledged the enormous professional consequences of entering politics. 

Federal broadcast rules, including equal-time requirements, could create significant complications for an active candidate. For now, he appears perfectly comfortable keeping his political opinions on television rather than delivering them from behind a White House podium.

And judging by his reaction to Hannity’s question, the press secretary’s office can keep looking. Stephen A. Smith has a lucrative media empire to run, and only one job in Washington could make him consider walking away from it.