President Donald Trump called Stephen A. Smith an “arrogant fool” and “dumb as a rock” after the ESPN personality blamed him for disrupting the Knicks’ NBA Finals night.
On Wednesday, Trump went after Smith on his Truth Social platform and took aim at the broadcaster’s rumored political ambitions.
Trump wrote that Smith was “totally unqualified to ever think of running for high political office, or low political office for that matter!” He also claimed Smith would “get annihilated in a debate by the most incompetent of politicians.”
The exchange began around Trump’s appearance at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. Before the game, Smith said he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost because of the disruption caused by the president’s visit.
“This is about an individual engaging in a level of narcissism that really rakes my freakin’ nerves,” Smith said at the time. “He’s got no business here tonight. It has nothing to do with politics. It was everything to do with the fervor that exists around the New York Knicks and he is disrupting everything the Knicks have been vibing with.”
After the Knicks lost to the Spurs, 115-111, Trump responded to reporters by questioning Smith’s intelligence.
“I think he’s a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” Trump said. “You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does actually.”
Smith clapped back at Trump on Tuesday on First Take and his podcast, challenging Trump to a one-on-one debate and saying, “obviously, I’m blaming him” for the loss.
“If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep?” Smith said. “Didn’t you call out former President Joe Biden, ‘Sleepy Joe’? Well, what should we call you? Cause you weren’t awake.”