A heated media dispute has emerged between Keith Olbermann and Stephen A. Smith. Olbermann delivered a scathing criticism of the ESPN host over his remarks regarding Jimmy Kimmel’s departure from the Late-night show.
Smith went on to discuss Kimmel as a comedy figure while questioning the late-night show host for not bringing any comedy to his statements.
“The only thing that i would say as it pertains to Jimmy Kimmel was where was the joke? Because you’re a late-night host — and obviously that has a comedic attachment to it. Where was the joke? Obviously, it wasn’t anything funny about that”, Smith stated.
Responding to Smith’s comments, Olbermann made a public statement about Smith being an idiot and suggested that he was, in fact, an idiot who aligned himself with and worked with individuals from the right-wing groups.
“Just adding to what has been true for years: @stephenasmith is a f***ing idiot. And now he smells money prostituting himself to, and collaborating with, the right wing“, Olbermann remarked.
Just adding to what has been true for years: @stephenasmith is a fucking idiot. And now he smells money prostituting himself to, and collaborating with, the right wing https://t.co/u0m5POf3L7
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) September 19, 2025
The controversy surrounds the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel was suspended for saying that the MAGA movement was attempting to politicize Kirk’s death by “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them”. His statement prompted both huge public and network backlash.
Smith Expands Into Political Commentary Reportedly Earning $40 million
On September 17, Stephen A. Smith officially debuted his political talk show “Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith” on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel, providing a substantial expansion of the ESPN personality’s media profile beyond sports commentary.
He is reportedly earning roughly $40 million from both his contracts through ESPN and SiriusXM and earned additional income through YouTube and podcasting, making him one of the highly compensated figures in sports media.
From @TheAthletic: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who’s making nearly $40 million a year, wants as big a voice in politics as he has in sports. On Wednesday, he will officially launch his bid as a political pundit, if not a presidential candidate.https://t.co/ox6zIjcXgk
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 17, 2025
In the meantime, Keith Olbermann is continuing his media journey with his “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” podcast that was launched on iHeartMedia, as a daily podcast in August 2022.
Read More:
- Insider Claims Stephen A. Smith’s Scathing Rant Against Jimmy Kimmel For Charlie Kirk Comments Had Ulterior Motives: “Making Moves Behind The Scenes”
- “Where Was the Joke”: Jimmy Kimmel Faces Stephen A. Smith’s Wrath After Firing Over Charlie Kirk Comments
- Stephen A. Smith Attacks NCAA Refereeing After ‘Horrible’ Foul Call vs. Cooper Flagg in Duke Defeat
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