Earlier this year, Stephen A. Smith agreed with former president Donald Trump’s claim that he appeals to Black Americans because of his legal issues. And with the 2024 presidential election rapidly approaching, CNN’s Chris Wallace asked Smith to weigh in on the topic again.
Smith joined this week’s edition of the Max series Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace. In a preview clip obtained by Mediaite, Wallace asks Smith to explain why Trump does “relatively well with young Black men.”
CNN’s Chris Wallace Asks Stephen A. Smith Why Trump Does ‘Relatively Well With Young Black Men’ — And Who Will Win https://t.co/SCSXohSe5E via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/JiaaDL27p4
— Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) September 19, 2024
“I think that it’s a combination of the disgust and the absence of trust that an abundance of people, not just Black males, but an abundance of people in America have with Capitol Hill,” Smith said. “And that’s what I keep telling folks. I’ve been telling folks this for the longest time.
“Listen, when it comes to Donald Trump, he speaks a lot of folks’ language. They don’t care as much about the message. They care about how he’s delivering the message because he delivers it in a way that they want to deliver it to Capitol Hill.”
It’s notable that Smith didn’t mention Trump’s legal issues this time around.
In February, Trump claimed Black Americans relate to him “being discriminated against,” citing his criminal indictments. Smith later went on Fox News with Sean Hannity and said, “Black folks find him relatable because of what he is going through is similar to what Black Americans have gone through; he wasn’t lying! He was telling the truth.”
Naturally, Smith’s assessment drew significant backlash, particularly from the Black community, prompting the ESPN host to issue an apology and claim his comments were “misconstrued” despite his quote seeming rather direct. Pressed on the issue again by Wallace, Smith’s answer as to why Trump is doing well with young Black men featured more generalities.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com