Stephen A. Smith Won’t Take the Bait from CNN Host Regarding Trump’s IQ Remarks

Stephen A. Smith Addresses Trump’s Remarks

SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith shared on “State of the Union” with guest host Casey Hunt that he did not aim to “denigrate or insult” President Donald Trump.

Trump had expressed his displeasure toward the ESPN host after Smith remarked that the president seemed to have fallen asleep during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, where the New York Knicks faced off against the San Antonio Spurs. Hunt inquired about Trump’s assertion that a “high IQ” is necessary for the presidency.

“But I’m not here to smear or insult the President of the United States in that regard. He’s certainly more advanced than Joe Biden in terms of alertness,” Smith commented, alluding to discussions regarding Biden’s perceived decline. “I won’t criticize him for that. But I’m not going to insult the president.”

“What I’m saying is, he showed up to the Knicks’ game,” Smith explained. “You saw it on camera. He was caught taking a nap. That’s it. James Dolan, the Knicks’ owner, was sitting next to him and didn’t seem fully awake either. That’s just an observation. But he’s the president, and he’s got a lot on his plate.”

Recently, the Wall Street Journal published articles discussing former President Biden’s declining mental acuity prior to his announcement on July 21, 2024, that he would not seek re-election. On December 19, 2024, the Journal revealed that Biden had been “isolated” from Cabinet members as his health and mental capacity continued to deteriorate.

Smith proposed the idea of sitting down with Trump to offer a public dialogue regarding intelligence and decision-making. “If you really want to question someone’s IQ, put me at the table with you, and we can discuss some decisions you’ve made for the American people,” he suggested.

Additionally, Smith firmly dismissed any thoughts of running for vice president despite previously indicating he might run as a Democrat. Hunt asked, “If someone offered you the vice presidential slot, it would probably only take half a month,” to which Smith quickly responded, “Never, never. I have no interest in being vice president or number two.”

Smith further clarified, “I’m not interested in being president of the Senate just to break a tie or give a speech. If I were to take on a role like that, it would have to be for a significant position—certainly not for the vice presidency or anything like that.”