"Cult Following" - Stephen A. Smith May Vote For Trump?

going back to going back to your mom

when you're talking about on the

conservative side do do your recent

positioning with Trump has been has got

has gotten a lot of people little bit uh

uh asking questions okay so hey you know

the Democrats what you're doing you know

trying to undermine everything this

man's doing it's not working you know

you're kind of going through the whole

process and he kind of Biden all this

stuff what do you think you know the

strategy that they're doing right now do

you do you think they don't know that

it's not working or do you think they're

convinced it's going to end up working

come November 5th with the day we vote I

think they're convinced it's going to

work and I think that they're leaning on

the 2022 midterms to buffer their point

um you had certain Democrats who were

supporting uh Trump surrogates I'm sorry

they were they were supporting these

folks uh and favoring yeah Trump

surrogates during the

2022 um Mid terms and people were

anticipating a red wave that never

arrived you see what I'm saying and so

that's what they're thinking about the

more we put Trump out there the more we

put Trump out there the more we buffer

support and and augment support for

these folks who support him ultimately

it will lead to our Victory that's how

they're thinking and I'm saying no not

what I'm seeing I think that he has damn

near a cult following I'm not calling

folks cult as anything like that I'm

just talking I'm just speaking

metaphorically about how these folks are

in terms of their love their devotion

their belief in him and they're not

going anywhere and then you got

Hispanics who are supporting him now

according to the polls you've got more

black folks who are supporting him now

according to the polls and even though

they're swearing that the overturning of

roie Wade along with some of the charges

that have been executed against them

that that's going to turn off white

women well we ain't seeing that evidence

and so I'm looking at it from that

standpoint and I'm like well wait a

minute now are y'all not paying

attention because let me tell you

something shalag the God said it best

when he said Joe Biden is not inspiring

at all um you almost get the impression

that the Democrats who are pushing for

Joe Biden to get four more years because

that's what they were chanting at the

State of the Union to just four more

years four more years the man's going to

be 82 in November and you you chant for

more years but you've got Progressive

leftists on this side chanting for more

years I don't know if they know how

embarrassing that is okay okay but

that's neither here nor there the point

is is that when you're doing that I'm

looking at them and I'm saying to myself

come on now this is utterly

ridiculous you think this is going to

get it done but I tell you what I'm

starting to

suspect they don't know if Joe's going

to last four more years

and all they care about is that he gets

through election day in the

inauguration and then after that who's

the next line in line it's SCA Harris

and I think that's how folks are

thinking but my problem with it is again

we're capitalist we like competition

what happened to competing with him and

winning what's all the laware about one

charge after another you got Leticia

James and the New York attorney general

in in in in in New York you've got you

you you got the folks in Georgia with

Fanny Willis and others you've got you

know maralago situation you got a I mean

we're really really really going to have

a trial about hush money to a former

point star that's what we're doing

that's what we doing now I'm like are

you kidding me now don't get me wrong

I'm not advocating that anybody should

be above the law at any time what I am

saying is he's the president of the

United States the former president of

the United States you talk to about

Russian collusion you talked to us about

a bevy of things over the years man

still running four four indictments 91

counts and the man gets more campaign

dollars climbing in the polls okay and

last time I checked he still ain't been

in cuffs he still ain't been put behind

bars and he's the presumptive GOP

nominee you can't stop him you cannot

stop them and so for me I find myself

ashamed of the Democratic Party for

their lack of a competitive fervor you

had since 2016 to come up with somebody

else and you still can't do it that is

pathetic it is pathetic and there is no

excuse for it whatsoever it is

2024 in eight years you should have been

able to find somebody that can compete

with this man

other than a soon to be 82y old

incumbent well let me ask you this

though yes do you want Democrats to

win that's a tough question that's the

question yeah it is it's but it's

totally fair bro I'm not going to that

question it's totally fair

um I have to confess what most folks who

sit before guys like yourself

don't it's hard to figure out like for

example supposedly we got a good economy

unemployment is relatively decent around

4% you know black unemploy a little

under 6% about 5.6% if I remember

correctly

um but then you listen to the wri and

it's like what about

inflation and then you're driving in

California and you paying an arm and a

leg for gas you're going to the

supermarket you buying some milk you

buying some bread or whatever because

see contrary to what folks believe I

actually do go to the supermarket okay I

do buy my own stuff you know all of this

other St I'm like you're watching and

you're seeing all of this stuff and it's

like who's telling the truth do we have

a good economy or not is it really a

crisis at the border or not I believe it

is yeah do you you know is inflation a

real thing is it

imaginary you're looking at all of these

different things you're talking about

National Security the war in Ukraine

should we support them should we give

them more money than we've already given

them you're looking at the you know

Israeli you know Hamas conflict I call

it the Israeli Hamas conflict as opposed

to Israeli Palestinian conflict you know

but I don't touch that cuz I don't know

enough and that's not my Lane but I also

find myself okay well we we we got folks

here saying stop this stop this stop the

bombing stop all of this and then you

have other folks like hell with thatas

has to be eliminated because look at

what they've done October 7th and the

kidnapping and 13 you're hearing all of

this and you read the different

Publications I'll read The Washington

Post one minute I'll read the New York

Times the next I read Wall Street

Journal the next I'm watching the

channels Fox News MSNBC CNN I'm going

back and forth and literally we've

changed as a

society we can take the same information

and put a completely different Twist on

it to make it look like who's right

who's wrong somebody as knowledgeable as

you guys have proven to be with no more

than me at this moment in time I'm

studying more and more and more of it

every day because I'm fixated on it just

like I am with sports but I'm saying if

you tell me what is definitively true

that's undeniable I can tell you how I

feel my problem is is that I literally

could be

sitting in front of one person on the

left with the same exact information

that I'm sitting in front of somebody 15

minutes later with on the right and they

have two completely different versions

and I think that's why America is so

lost because folks are confused they

don't have the time when you're out

there hustling and bustling and trying

to take care your family pay mortgages

maintain or elevate your quality of life

you don't have time to study everything

that needs to be studied you've got

Congressional incentive figures telling

you they signed bills they didn't even

read literally I've seen them on tape

doing this and so when you have that

going on it's really really difficult to

say oh I know this but if you tell me

these are the facts Stephen beyond the

shadow of a doubt I don't give a damn

what it is I can tell you how I feel

about it I can do that yeah you know

it's it's interesting you say that and

and thank you for being you know

straight up with it that's the one thing

about you that why I relate and I like

watching you cuz you you're straight up

I watching you'll say yeah I'll see

you're defending Magic Johnson one time

like this guy's my friend I'm like okay

he's sometimes easier to Magic than he

is to somebody else to all this stuff

but I love the fact that you're raw and

you come out and give you feedback

here's what it makes me think about when

when asking about who you want to vote

and who do I believe do I go with the

guy on the left or the guy on the right

you ever had a guy the NBA or sports

that we all criticized MH and the media

went after him so everybody's what a

freaking guy you know piece of this

and seven years later dude that guy was

mistreated by everybody right what was

that all about right you're like dude no

no no no I'm listen I'm not with you man

I'm over here I'm on this guy's side I

don't like what you did you know the

truth is this right so we can we can

look at a couple things with you know

2024 in a few different ways what we

have right not Stephen A that I think is

easy to do is two things M you actually

have for once we haven't had this you

got two people we get to vote for that

we got four years to choose from each

it's not a what if right it's not a well

if he do you want somebody like Hillary

Clinton do you want a man like this to

have access to the nuclear button I

don't know if I do well guess what you

know he had it for four years what

happened and you know this guy had it

for four years what happened so it's

actually very easy systematically to sit

there with data and say they went after

this guy I was convinced he was tied to

Russia right $ 35 million Hillary

Clinton that was a lie and everybody in

the mainstream media was behind it

everybody CNN

MSNBC guys that's kind of shitty and

then you try to defame character then

you went after the girls then egene

Carroll $83 million Anderson Cooper asks

was he did he rape you well I think rape

is more of a fantasy what are you

talking about we got to go to break

right answer the question

and the confusing part for me is like

I'm a I you know my mom's side all

Democrats they were Communists my dad

said they were imperialist so there was

a debate between the two where rich

people are greedy and poor people are

lazy so I have to kind of figure it out

on my own to see where right the reality

was today four years versus four years

we got three Afghanistan screw up you

know Ukraine and and and you know Russia

looks like we're going to have to give

these guys another Afghanistan of a

couple trillion dollars of taxpayers

money that we keep sending money oh

great right Israel Hamas okay all right

whether we know everything about the

history of or not how come this didn't

happen four years ago how come there was

nothing going on four years ago so when

you look at it that way what is

happening a lot that I talk to guys who

are celebrities influencers Hollywood TV

somebody that you watch there's a couple

different camps there's the one camp

that is like like man I'm still going to

vote left there's the other camp that

says dude I'm not going to tell you who

I'm voting for which is kind of like the

middle like if you had that one

interview with Denzel who did you vote

for it's none of your business I don't

know if you remember that interview

toally I totally remember I don't blame

him for that either because Hollywood's

different exactly Hollywood's different

and they would to hold him accountable

in a ways in ways most others can't nor

would but but here's the feeling I'm

getting with you bro the feeling I'm

getting with you which is why I'm kind

of like enamored with like the journey

you're going through I'm just kind of

following it

right um I think you gotta fight and and

I think you know moms left certain

values of Pride and Dad and it's like

hey dude you got a job to protect this

country that gave you this life and

right I feel like there is something

going on with you that's kind of like

you know you want to talk but you know

it's kind of like am I really going to

say this can I really say this it's not

that it's not it's just that I want to

be as sure as you are that's what I'm

saying I owe it to the audience I owe it

to the people to make sure that if I'm

going to come out with fire and

brimstone I know what the hell I'm

talking about and sometimes when it

comes to these issues I don't so I'm

just being honest about what would

happen if you came out and you said

let's just say in the month of October

Stephen A came out let's be real here

you came out on your podcast obviously

not at the network you would put on your

podcast you said guys I'm going to say

something right now you guys are going

to be very upset at me what happen if

you in the month of October said I'm

voting for Trump would happen I'd be

called a sellout and a by my own

community that would be automatic that's

EX EXA what they would say but what I

would tell you is to know something

about me I wouldn't give a damn I'm not

scared I'll say what I feel let me tell

you let me address the point that you

made

earlier my belief is I'm going to vote

for Biden

now you have to

remember it's how you're looking at the

presidential election might be a little

bit different than me for example I'm

the kind of person that might vote for

the president being and a Democrat and

every other position

Republican every Senator every

Congressional figure every local in

other words because I view the

presidency I understand it's the

commanderin-chief I get it but I view

and and listen I will preface it by

saying I'm open to correction I truly am

I view the presidency as more of a

statesmanship position I would if if I

interviewed Trump I would look him in

his face and tell him why I would never

I'm not calling you a racist I'm not

saying that all of your policies were

wrong hell the economy was thriving

before Co I remember but you don't know

how to act you just I said you don't

care what you say you don't care about

how divisive you come across you don't

have any sensitivity whatsoever to how

you Scar the living hell out of people

with your rhetoric and with your your

aloof I don't know if the word is

aloofness or just a

disregard for the importance of unity I

believe you believe in America I believe

in America let me tell you what I

believe in about America I believe that

when we're together nothing can stop us

nothing I don't care if it's a bad

president I don't care if it's bad

people on Capitol Hill I don't care if

Corporate America is garbage I don't

care if wall Street's messing up we will

overcome anything when we're together

and I remember how I felt this way and

this is only time I'm 56 years old and

it's the only time in my life I ever

felt this way 9/11

happens and that first plane goes into

the first Tower and I'm laying in my bed

I'm at an apartment in South Jersey at

the time of where he New Jersey I'm

laying in my bed and I'm on the phone

with one of my friends and I'm like see

this damn probably probably's probably

drunk you talk about I mean who the hell

knows this this is why I worry about

flying and that's what I I literally was

reacting that way and then the channel

was on

CNN and I saw that second plane coming

around and I said whoa wait a minute and

we saw that plane come around and it hit

that second tower and the first words

out of my mouth that sced my language is

holy we are under

attack and at that moment it wasn't

black it wasn't white it wasn't

the United States of America is under

attack you are after us I didn't see

anybody that was an American citizen and

thought about I didn't think about race

I didn't think about divisiveness I

didn't think about hos I didn't think

about anything we are under attack I'm

56 years old it's the only time I've

ever felt like that in my life in this

country the only time isn't that sad

though Stephen that it it it has to take

terrorists flying aanes into builds of

amans for us to go I don't care that

you're black I don't care that is the

saddest thing to hear and and then Steve

going back if you don't mind Patrick I'm

going to the fact that that Trump's

divisiveness let me ask you Stephen

you're going for president you're going

to go run for president as you come in

you don't even think you're going to win

you find out Stephen that the president

before you was spying on you in your

campaign think about this think about

this spying on your campaign then the

chick that you're running against paid

all these millions to have this fake

Russian thing so by the way your anger's

building I'm I'm getting there then the

two impeachments then this 20120 FBI at

Twitter blocking all the stories from

Hunter and everything how was your you

Stephen A Smith how was your attitude

going to be are you going to be like

this guy my attitude is going to be

probably

stink um I'm going to be furious I'm

going to be all of those things

yes but I also know what I signed up

for and I sign up to be a president to

all the people not to come across as

somebody who's only loyal to my

constituency who put me in that office

because you do have that with some

politicians they think about who got

them there and I understand when you

campaign please don't get me wrong

trying to get off trying to maintain

power I get that part but what I'm

saying is once you're there you got an

obligation to be bigger than that and

when you find yourself I remember I saw

Cat Williams the comedian joking about

this when he was doing a a concert in

Jacksonville and he was like Trump trump

is coming you know he ain't playing

games and who do he go have Kathy

Griffin talking about KY Kathy Griff you

know and I'm like you just find yourself

it's like there there comes a point in

time where you elevate to a certain

level in life where the pettiness has to

go out the window because you it you got

to remember it's not just about what you

do it's about what you're convincing the

American citizen you're doing you can't

SK to living hell out of people because

that Causes Chaos too and what it does

is it cam it distracts us from the very

good that you might be doing because

we're caught up in all the noise you've

created and then listen I firmly believe

and I've said this

publicly they say 81 million plus people

voted for Joe Biden I don't believe that

for one second I believe 81 plus million

people voted against Donald Trump they

didn't want him that they couldn't take

it anymore because he was so

unsettling and that's the difference big

boy big rules a lot of people might feel

differently yeah that's where I'm at

with it no I I respect that and I I

think a part of why why would why would

81 million people feel that way let's

let's go through what is the easiest

emotion to manipulate people with what

is the easiest emotion it's very simple

fear sharpens listening yep if you can

sell an entire congregation you go to

you ever gone to a pastor he gets up and

he says if you don't get baptized today

you're going to hell and here's what

hell looks like oh my God I'm getting

baptized right now right so they sold

Trump as the second coming of the guy

from Germany and many Americans who

don't read who don't follow politics who

live a simple life who these guys are

trying to pay their bills they're trying

to watch a game on Sunday you know maybe

having a barbecue you're trying to do

basic they don't have time go read all

the stuff that's going on and they're

like you know what I don't want to deal

with any of this stuff the part that I

give the left a lot of credit to is the

following when covid happened and

everybody knew it came from China us

could have done what they did during 911

and been United against China but us the

Democrats became United against Trump

and they did such a phenomenal job

putting all the blame on him everything

and by the way check this out okay you

said uh vaccine played a big role in

your life right I think in 2022 or 2021

you said if it wasn't for vaccine I

wouldn't been here and all that's what

they told me I said that's what the

doctors told me yeah fantastic and and

so do you know when the vaccine was

ready do you know when the vaccine was

announced I think it it was it was while

Trump was there no it was two days after

election yeah weird exactly but guess

who got it done he did Trump got it done

yeah but they announced it only two days

after election cuz imagine if they would

announc a two days pre-election right

fastest credit for it gone imagine if

you know the the New York Post story

would have stayed 50 Intelligence

Officers came out signing saying there's

nothing in the laptop and then later on

we found out there was plenty of things

in the laptop but but but you're

bringing up what what you're you're

talking about when you're talking about

Co for

example that wasn't what was scaring a

bunch of people it was the riots in the

streets it was the Mayhem it was the

fact that they went the left as you

pointed out went about the business

great strategy demonizing

demonizing Trump and to get to your

point you have a responsibility to be

big enough to see that coming and to be

more Dr drit in your approach towards

resolving issues and making sure you

highlight who you are

CNN was one of the Ring leaders one

would say when it came to their

positions against

Trump last time I checked they weren't

number one that was Fox yeah but that's

not no no but you know to to give you

the example of of basketball sure okay

so uh I don't know how many points uh

did Dominic Wilkins average in a season

when he was killing it 35 points game I

think he had a 37 point season

ridiculous what did they do they lost

they L and then when the have a team

when the Pistons won how who was

averaging the most points on that team

19 points a game Prince or was it who

maybe Shan C bips 21 points but they

didn't have rip Hamilton's post but it

was like a 19 18 20 21 point game they

didn't have a 32 they don't have a 28

they didn't have a the point is this

take a 21 CNN take a 17 MSNBC take a 16

CBS take any of that all of that beats

40 points a game that's Fox News okay so

the collective effort of everybody

combined Fox is nothing okay you can say

that but here's what I can here what

here's what my rort would be you you

have any idea the size of Mark Lin's

audience you have any idea about the

size of Shan Hann these off audience I

mean I I'm just saying you turn around

you and I understand we we we talk about

the quote unquote liberal society that

that we live in I can't tell you how

many people in my business I know for a

fact ain't liberal they can talk that

nonsense all they want to but when you

see that how they conduct themselves

when you see them in the office when you

go oh they Ain they don't have those

views they don't have those views I

think that Trump lost the election more

than the conservatives did I think he

look he alienated people because of his

I know I know first of all I know of I

know a lot of Republicans okay and I

know of Republicans who were flat out

exhausted because he didn't know how to

act now listen listen you're a very

successful businessman and I'm saying to

you it's perfectly understandable why

you would feel different because again

the world that you live in you have to

know more than most and because you know

more than most the actual substance of

his policies how it works for our

society compared to the left and stuff

like that you'll choose that it's

perfectly understandable but I'm saying

to you here's what you would know and

this is what you're not that's fair this

is what this is what I think you need to

give yourself credit for you're know

there's no way on Earth you're this

successful if you don't have an idea

what your audience wants and what's to