Stephen A. Smith is known for his fiery takes on sports, but after attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend, the ESPN star has a new target: the state of political discourse in America.
Smith was in the room when chaos erupted at the annual event on Saturday evening. A shooting attempt sent attendees scrambling for cover, and Smith didn't hold back describing the terrifying moment on his YouTube show.
“What scared the living (expletive) out of everybody was that you thought at least for a few seconds that the room had been penetrated,” Smith said. “So all of us had to get down. We ducked under tables, ducked under chairs and all of that other stuff.”
The incident left Smith shaken, but it also sparked a demand for change. He's calling for an end to the toxic political climate that he believes fuels such violence.
“I’m sick and tired of us giving lip service to the narrative of dialing down the rhetoric. Enough of that. Stop talking about it and do it,” Smith said. “Let’s debate policy as opposed to engaging in name-calling and speaking about people in incendiary and derogatory fashion.”
Smith also pushed back against conspiracy theories that have swirled in the aftermath. He emphasized the importance of responsible journalism, especially in a moment like this. “You’ve got a lot of conspiracy theorists out there claiming that this was all rigged,” he said. “Me personally, people can have their opinions, their conjecture or whatever, but it would be irresponsible for me or any journalist to jump to that conclusion. We’re not gonna do that.”
Smith's call for a more civil political debate comes as he continues to wade deeper into political commentary. But he's not just criticizing the tone of the conversation—he's also agreed with an unlikely ally: President Trump. Trump had previously suggested the Correspondents' Dinner should be held on White House grounds, and Smith backed that idea.
“A dead clock is right twice a day. The president has a point,” Smith said. “Stuff like this should be on the grounds of the White House. It shouldn’t be at some (expletive) hotel in D.C. that just anybody could get into. It just shouldn’t.”
Smith's comments come at a time when political tensions are already high. The shooting attempt at the dinner is just the latest in a series of alarming incidents that have put the spotlight on security and rhetoric. For Smith, the message is clear: it's time to stop talking and start acting.
Whether his call for change will resonate beyond the sports world remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Stephen A. Smith isn't afraid to step into the fray.
