President Trump fired back at ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith early Tuesday after the sports personality joked that he would blame the president if the New York Knicks lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Smith, who has been floated by some Democrats as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, complained on ESPN’s “First Take” about Trump attending the game at Madison Square Garden and suggested the president’s presence could somehow affect the outcome.
“If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him,” Smith said during an animated on-air segment that drew laughter from others in the studio.
After attending the game in New York with his granddaughter Kai, Trump was asked about Smith’s remarks while departing from JFK Airport shortly after midnight.
The president responded by describing Smith as a “nice guy” before questioning whether the ESPN personality possessed the qualifications needed to run for the nation’s highest office.
“You need a certain aptitude to run for president,” Trump said.
“You need a high IQ. I’m not sure Stephen has that. I don’t think he does.”
Trump’s appearance at Madison Square Garden marked the first time a sitting president attended an NBA Finals game. During the pregame ceremonies, he acknowledged NYPD officers carrying the American flag during the national anthem.
Smith’s criticism of Trump’s attendance became one of the major talking points before tipoff.
“If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him,” Smith repeated during his rant.
“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.”
Smith also accused Trump of being “selfish and narcissistic” for attending the game and argued that a sitting president had “no business” showing up at Madison Square Garden during the Finals.
He later attempted to clarify that he would have felt the same way about any sitting president attending the game, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan.
“This is not a football stadium in some space of Texas where you got a whole bunch of outlays,” Smith said. “This is the Garden. This is Midtown Manhattan.”
Despite Smith’s concerns, the Knicks ultimately fell 115-111 to the San Antonio Spurs. However, New York still leads the NBA Finals series 2-1 heading into Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The post Trump Hits Back At Stephen A. Smith After ESPN Star Said He’d Blame Him For Knicks Loss appeared first on Real News Now.
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