President Donald Trump took a shot at Stephen A. Smith’s constant White House flirtations Monday night after the ESPN commentator said he’d blame Trump if the New York Knicks lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Well, the Knicks lost.
And Trump had a response.
After attending Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, Trump spoke with reporters before boarding Air Force One to head back to Washington, D.C. Fox News Digital/OutKick asked Trump about Smith, who has repeatedly floated the idea of running for president, saying Trump would be responsible if the Knicks lost.
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“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.”
Alrighty, then.
That was Trump, after watching the Knicks lose at Madison Square Garden, responding to one of ESPN’s biggest stars suggesting his presence could be responsible for the result.
The Spurs beat the Knicks, 115-111, in Game 3 on Monday night, cutting New York’s series lead to 2-1. It put a damper on the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, when the Tim Duncan-led Spurs beat the Knicks in Game 5 to win the series and the title.
So, naturally, Stephen A. simply prepared an excuse for a potential loss ahead of time.
Smith, a noted Knicks fan, had already made it clear he did not want Trump at Madison Square Garden for the game. Despite Trump’s appearance making him the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, Smith had no interest in Trump setting historical precedent.
The “First Take” host argued before the game that Trump had “no business” showing up in New York City for Game 3 and said the president attending would create unnecessary chaos around one of the biggest Knicks games in decades.
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He also said he’d blame Trump if the Knicks lost. He did not, however, assert that he would give Trump credit if the Knicks won. Funny how that works.
Smith tried to argue that his position was not political. He said he would feel the same way if Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan attended the game.
Maybe.
But there’s another important hypothetical scenario to consider.
Smith has spent more than a year openly flirting with a potential 2028 presidential run. He has said he has “no choice” but to consider it. He has repeatedly commented that people connected in politics tell him he should run for president and that he could win.
Is there anyone on planet Earth who believes President Stephen A. Smith would skip a Knicks NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden?
Come on.
Smith is more likely to demand that the Secret Service allow him to sit courtside than he is to sit in the White House and watch the game from afar. He probably wouldn’t stop there, either. Fans would expect to see Smith at every NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden. Possibly every game in the entire series.
That’s what made Trump’s snarky response hit so hard.
Smith wants to be taken seriously as a possible presidential candidate, but he also wanted to blame the actual president for going to one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Something Trump has done throughout both presidencies, by the way. Arguably no president in history has been as visible at major American sporting events as Trump.
But Trump decided not to engage with Smith’s premise that the Knicks lost due to the president’s appearance at the game. Instead he took a shot at Smith’s presidential qualifications and his overall intellect. And, as is often the case, Trump didn’t pull any punches.
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Smith has become one of ESPN’s most powerful personalities by knowing exactly how to get attention. He’s loud, dramatic, political when he wants to be and almost always aware of the moment.
Trump is the same way.
So when Stephen A. put himself into the story by saying he would blame Trump for a Knicks loss, Trump responded in the most Trump way possible.
He questioned whether Stephen A. Smith is smart enough to be president.
Fortunately, Smith is likely to let it go and not offer a response.
Right, and if you believe that, we’ve got a bridge to sell you.
Stay tuned.
Because there is no chance this one ends quietly.
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