ESPN host Stephen A. Smith stated Thursday that U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., could persuade him to become a Republican, offering strong praise for the candidate who is seeking to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida's gubernatorial race. Smith described Donalds as "the real deal" and revealed that he speaks with the congressman "all the time off the record."
"And I ain't no d--- Republican. But that mean if anybody could make me one, it would be him. I'm just going to keep it a buck. I'm just letting you know," Smith said on his SiriusXM show. "He's the real deal. Make no mistake about it. I've seen him battling with Democrats. I've seen him battling with people on different shows, whatever. He ain't backing up. He knows his stuff. OK? I talk to him all the time. All the time. And I ain't got nothing bad to say about him."
A campaign official for Donalds confirmed that Smith and the congressman are friends. The campaign's communications director, Gates McGavick, stated that Donalds is attracting voters from various demographics by emphasizing affordability and public safety.
"Byron Donalds is drawing support from Floridians of all backgrounds because he has a clear vision to make Florida more affordable, keep Floridians safe and make sure the radical left stays out of the Sunshine State," McGavick said. "He is building a broad coalition that puts common sense over crazy to lead Florida into the future."
Donalds has received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, a factor one GOP source believes will be crucial for his primary victory. A poll released on August 6 by the James Madison Institute indicated Donalds held 49% of the vote among likely Republican primary voters, a 31-point lead over Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.
Donalds' campaign has reportedly raised over $90 million, competing against candidates including Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and investor James Fishback. DeSantis has not endorsed any candidate in the race.
Smith also addressed concerns about Donalds' close association with Trump and potential skepticism from Black voters. He questioned Democrats' effectiveness in serving the Black community, while acknowledging his own skepticism towards them.
"You heard me ask that question [What have Democrats done for you?]. I ain't apologizing for it. I'm very skeptical about them," Smith said. "Make no mistake about it. I mean, I've lost interest in them in a lot of different ways. I'll be the first to admit it right here on the public airwaves, but I also am trying to be fair-minded when I think about this."
This stance aligns with Smith's increasing openness to Republican candidates. In March, he urged Democrats to actively earn Black votes instead of assuming their support. Earlier this year, he told Sean Hannity that he would support Secretary of State Marco Rubio over prominent Democrats like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, despite identifying as a Democrat.
In response to Smith's question about voter skepticism, Donalds advised voters to evaluate politicians based on their policies and demonstrated results rather than personal affinity or social media discourse.
"It's something that I acknowledge. I would challenge Black people in America. First of all, this ain't even about trust. It's about verification," Donalds said. "We've had people on both sides of the aisle promise Black people everything until the cows come home. But it's really about, 'Are you going to verify the promises and verify what the policies actually do, or are you just going to trust it because you have comfort level with a certain politician.'"
DeSantis, who was re-elected in 2022 with a significant margin, is ineligible to run for a third term. Florida has transitioned from a swing state to a predominantly Republican-controlled state over the last decade.