It appears that Donald Trump has replied to Stephen A. Smith for his controversial comments about him. The ESPN analyst previously said some sharp words about the president, saying that he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Smith is also known for his political views, as he is being touted as a 2028 presidential candidate.
According to the New York Post, Trump was asked about the comments made by Stephen A. Smith on the ground at JFK Airport when he was about to leave for Washington. Trump initially labeled Smith as a “nice guy,” and then he responded to the analyst’s sharp words. The president seemed to say that running for president requires a certain aptitude, then steered the conversation toward Smith’s IQ.
Trump, who attended the NBA Finals Game 3, said, “You need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ. I’m not sure Stephen has that. I don’t think he does.” These words suggest that Stephen A. Smith’s sharp statement about blaming the president if the Knicks lose wasn’t quite welcomed by Trump.
Stephen A. Smith was quick to respond to Trump
It appears that Stephen, a longtime New York fan, did not actually want the Knicks to lose. The Knicks were leading 2-0 in the series but eventually lost in the third game, with President Trump in attendance. Smith having a beef with the president doesn’t seem to be the case here. I have this opinion because he also said, “I would say the same thing about Obama, George W., Clinton, I don’t give a damn if we went back to Reagan.”
Smith’s exact words on Trump were, “I’m blaming the president of the United States! I’m gonna stay on that. I’ve been fair-minded, down the middle as an independent for a long time. Hell hath no fury like Stephen A. scorned if the New York Knicks lose tonight. I’m gonna be in their a** like back pockets, like white on rice. I’m telling you that right now. We better not lose tonight’s game! We were riding, we were flowing, and this man gonna show up to the Garden tonight. You gotta be kidding me!”
Well, it looks like Stephen A. Smith was quick to respond to the president as well. On First Take, the ESPN analyst said, “You wanna talk about IQ, I could say I could put my IQ against yours, I got something even better I could ask you why you been running from me for the past year since I asked you to talk to me, I could ask you to debate me since you think you’re that dude. We could go a myriad of ways.”
It appears these two personalities had a sharp exchange of words between them. Trump shared his opinion, and we have seen Smith responding to controversies several times. Turns out the ESPN analyst did that again.
Published: Jun 9, 2026 12:00 pm