In a surprising admission that has Democrats fuming, ESPN host Stephen A. Smith — hardly known as a conservative — told his audience Thursday that the Democratic Party has *“no one, not a damn soul”* who can beat a potential Republican ticket of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in 2028.
Smith made the comments during his October 16 radio show after a listener asked if there was *any* Democrat on the national stage capable of defeating what many see as the emerging powerhouse team of the MAGA era. His blunt response sent shockwaves through left-wing circles.
“The answer would be no one. Not a damn soul,” Smith said flatly. “Ossoff out of Georgia — I like him. I like how he sounds. I do. But other than that? There’s nobody.”
Smith was referring to Senator Jon Ossoff, the Georgia Democrat who managed to slip into office during the chaotic 2020 election cycle — a time marked by COVID-19, mass mail-in ballots, and the Democrats’ full-court press for control. But even Smith acknowledged that Ossoff’s likeability won’t save him when he’s up for re-election in 2026, a race most analysts believe Republicans will win handily as Georgia shifts back to red.
The ESPN host’s candid assessment highlights a growing sense of desperation within the Democratic ranks. With the economy rebounding, Trump’s America First movement surging, and the GOP unified behind its new generation of leaders, Democrats are struggling to find a viable message — or a candidate who doesn’t sound like a socialist professor from Berkeley.
Smith, who has occasionally waded into political commentary despite working for the notoriously liberal ESPN, went on to heap praise on Marco Rubio, crediting him for helping negotiate an historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas under President Trump’s direction.
“If this Israel-Hamas deal turns out more positive than anything else, I don’t think anybody’s going to be able to compete with Marco Rubio,” Smith said. “Trump called him maybe the greatest secretary of state in American history — and I think he’s right. Marco Rubio gets things done. He is no joke. I put him above Vice President Vance, I can tell you that much.”
Smith’s comments echoed what many Americans are starting to see: a Republican Party that’s not only unified but *competent* — delivering results at home and abroad while Democrats flounder in division and identity politics.
Adding to the Democrats’ woes, Republicans across the country are strengthening their political ground game through smart redistricting. President Trump praised North Carolina’s new congressional map on Truth Social, calling it *“a huge victory for our America First Agenda.”*
“Thank you to North Carolina’s incredible Republican legislators,” Trump wrote. “This new map gives the fantastic people of North Carolina the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 midterms. Our party has never been more united, and we are getting so much done for the American people because of it.”
With the GOP riding high, it’s no wonder even left-leaning commentators like Stephen A. Smith are beginning to see the writing on the wall: the Democrats have no bench, no message, and no leader capable of stopping the conservative momentum heading into 2028.
As Smith bluntly put it — and as millions of Americans are realizing — the Democrats’ biggest problem isn’t Donald Trump. It’s themselves.
