On Thursday, Stephen A. Smith shared his views on the potential Republican primary match-up for the 2028 presidential election, expressing a belief that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would outshine Vice President Vance in such a contest.

During an episode of his “Straight Shooter” podcast on SiriusXM, Smith remarked, “I have to be honest with you, if the Israel-Hamas situation turns out more positively, I don’t see anyone standing a chance against Marco Rubio. Former President Trump even called him ‘maybe the greatest Secretary of State in American history.’”

Smith praised Rubio’s track record, emphasizing his effectiveness by stating, “Marco Rubio gets things done. He’s a former senator and now serves as Secretary of State and national security adviser. He’s a formidable figure. I rank him above Vice President Vance, that’s for sure.”

In recent times, Smith has increasingly turned his focus to political races across the country. Notably, he has mentioned Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Maryland Governor Wes Moore as his top picks among Democratic hopefuls for the 2028 presidential race. On Wednesday, Smith co-hosted a live town hall at the Kennedy Center for NewsNation, alongside Chris Cuomo and Bill O’Reilly.

Additionally, Smith has not ruled out the possibility of entering the political arena himself, having previously hinted at the idea of running for president.

“I hope somebody from the Democratic Party steps up. I hope I light a fire under them and get a more qualified individual in this mix, so people can stop asking me this stuff and I can enjoy my life,” Smith told Fox News’s Sean Hannity in April.

“But if it continues to get worse, all hands on deck, all of us should consider running, for crying out loud, rather than dealing with this nonsense” he added.