Stephen A. Smith has been increasingly commenting on political matters. He was also at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which Donald Trump attended for the first time after the WHCA reportedly decided to have a mentalist as a guest instead of a comedian, apparently to avoid Trump being made fun of. Smith was also at the Saturday event when an alleged anti-Trump gunman fired shots inside the venue.
During the Monday edition of his SiriusXM radio show, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith,” the ESPN host detailed the shooting at the dinner and recalled being in the same room and ducking for cover. Smith said he cannot blame Trump and his administration for the actions of a single individual. He then went on to comment on the state of U.S. politics.
“I’m sick and tired of us giving lip service to the narrative of dialing down the rhetoric,” Smith said (8:30 onward). “Enough of that. Stop talking about it and do it. You know, let’s debate policy. Let’s talk about what’s actually happening in our country from a policy perspective, whether we agree or disagree, and why.
“As opposed to engaging in name-calling, speaking about people in incendiary and derogatory fashion, and fomenting and feeding into the hostility and the ire that some sick individuals out there want to exercise and engage in. Let’s stop talking about it and start doing it because I got news for you. It’s important that we do that. We live in the United States of America.”
Smith was initially warm toward Trump but has slowly started criticizing the president due to policies some critics have described as racist, xenophobic and fascist. The “First Take” host has also revealed his desire to run for the presidency. He has set a timeline of early 2027 to confirm his decision.
Stephen A. Smith Backs Donald Trump on White House Ballroom Proposal
Shortly after the White House Correspondents’ dinner, Donald Trump doubled down on the need for the White House Ballroom, which critics have dubbed his “white elephant.” Trump said it was needed to host functions such as the Correspondents’ dinner. While many blasted the idea as a waste of taxpayer money, Stephen A. Smith agreed.
“A dead clock is right twice a day. The president has a point,” Smith said on ‘Straight Shooter.’ “Stuff like this should be on the grounds of the White House. It shouldn’t be at some damn hotel in D.C. that just anybody could get into. It just shouldn’t.”
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is not an event organized by the U.S. government but by the WHCA, which only extends an invitation to the president and does not require them to attend.
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