Will Smith Isn’t Ruling Out Running for President 'at Some Point Down the Line'
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Will Smith Isn’t Ruling Out Running for President 'at Some Point Down the Line'
"I will certainly do my part, whether it remains artistic or at some point ventures into the political arena," the actor said during an episode of the Pod Save America podcast Monday
President Will Smith? Don't dismiss the idea just yet.
The actor, 52, hasn't ruled out the possibility of running for political office, he said during an episode of the Pod Save America podcast on Monday as he promoted his new Netflix series, Amend: The Fight for America. The six-part docuseries explores the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
"I think for now I'll let that office get cleaned up a little bit and then I'll consider that at some point down the line," Smith told host Jon Favreau on Monday's podcast episode.
Smith said he's isn't sure if he'll remain in the arts or dip his toes into politics, but either way he'll continue to speak his mind and advocate for what he believes in.
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"I don't know, it's like, I absolutely have an opinion. I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful," he said. "I believe in understanding between people and I believe in the possibility of harmony. So, I will certainly do my part, whether it remains artistic or at some point ventures into the political arena."
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"You are showing all of us how we are supposed to love and care for our families," the actor told the young boy
Smith has been floating the idea of running for the top office for decades.
In 1999, after Bill and Hillary Clinton invited him to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom, he joked that he "told Bill that he should keep my room warm."
"That might sound foolish to some," he told the NY Daily News via Variety, "But, in my mind, if Ronald Reagan can become President, then why not Will Smith?"
In 2015, Smith said on CBS Sunday Morning that he felt further compelled to explore a career in politics after hearing the harmful rhetoric that emerged during the presidential race between Donald Trump and the former secretary of state.
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"If people keep saying all the crazy kinds of stuff they've been saying on the news lately about walls and Muslims, they're going to force me into the political arena," he told correspondent Tracy Smith at the time.
The actor emphasized that he wouldn't just aim for local office.
"I mean, I gotta be the president. Come on!" Smith said, adding, "What else would I run for?"
