“And I ain’t no damn Republican, but I 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 of Donalds in the latest installment of his “Straight Shooter With Stephen A. Smith” podcast.
That was no throwaway compliment.
Smith followed it up with an enthusiastic assessment of Donalds’ political abilities, pointing specifically to the Florida congressman’s willingness to defend his positions under pressure.
“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.”
The comments came as Donalds campaigns to become Florida’s next governor, hoping to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Donalds, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump who represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District, entered the closing stretch before the August 18 Republican primary as the overwhelming favorite.
A July 31 Quantus Insights survey put Donalds at 49.6 percent among likely Republican primary voters. Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins was a distant second at 15.7 percent, while Donalds has also built an enormous financial operation reportedly raising more than $90 million during the election cycle.
During his conversation with Smith, Donalds addressed affordability, property taxes, outreach to black Americans and other issues likely to shape the Florida governor’s race.
Smith also raised a potentially difficult political question: Could Donalds’ close relationship with Trump hurt his ability to win over skeptical black voters?
Donalds argued that voters should judge politicians by what their policies actually accomplish rather than automatically trusting either political party. His broader argument was that black Americans, like other voters, should examine results instead of simply accepting campaign promises.
That message appeared to resonate with Smith.
Although Smith has repeatedly described himself as an independent rather than a Republican, his growing frustration with Democrats has become increasingly difficult to miss.
“You heard me ask that question [What have Democrats done for you?]. I ain’t apologizing for it. I’m very skeptical about them,” he said.
Smith then made his dissatisfaction even clearer.
“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.”
For Republicans, comments like these could prove more significant than an endorsement from someone already firmly inside the conservative movement.
Smith commands an enormous audience and has spent much of his career in sports media rather than Republican politics. He has also previously characterized his own views as fiscally conservative and socially liberal.
His willingness to openly question Democrats — while praising one of Trump’s most recognizable congressional allies — offers another example of the political assumptions Republicans are hoping to disrupt ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Donalds clearly appreciated the unexpected vote of confidence.
Speaking with Just The News the following day, the Florida congressman explained that he and Smith have developed a relationship over roughly the past year.
“He’s a good guy. We’ve gotten a chance to know each other over the last year or so, and that really means a-lot,” he said.
Donalds then broadened the discussion beyond party politics, arguing that Americans across the political spectrum are increasingly focused on practical results.
“I think for the future, it demonstrates what people are looking for. Republicans, independent voters, even Democrats — they just want this country to work. They want common sense to reign. They want safe streets. They want a border that’s secure. They want an economic system where people can earn a great living and provide for their futures and just enjoy life.”
Smith has not announced that he is registering as a Republican, and his comments stopped well short of an official party switch.
Still, his language was striking.
A nationally recognized media personality who openly insists he is “no damn Republican” just told his audience that a Trump-backed Republican could potentially make him one.
For Donalds, that is powerful praise at an especially useful moment.
And for Democrats, Smith’s admission that he has “lost interest” in the party may be the part of the conversation worth watching most closely.
