The Pentagon announced last week that it was investigating U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for “serious allegations of misconduct,” a move that appeared to be motivated by Kelly and several other Democratic lawmakers releasing a video telling service members they have the right not to obey orders they believe to be illegal.
It’s been a battle of narratives and political will in the days since, with almost everyone from across the political spectrum weighing in.
That includes Stephen A. Smith, who has fashioned himself a political pundit with his Straight Shooter SiriusXM show, not to mention his many appearances on cable news and political programs in recent months.
Smith, who has spent an inordinate amount of time in this role bashing Democrats, did just that, criticizing Kelly and the others over the video.
“Respectfully, senator, what the hell are you doing?” Smith said on his SiriusXM radio show on Wednesday. “Looking into the camera and telling military men and women to ignore the commander in chief? How dare you? How dare you do that?”
(U.S. military members have the legal right to refuse orders they believe are unlawful, but they risk violating military laws of obedience if the order is in fact lawful.)
Longtime sports writer Jeff Pearlman did not appreciate Smith’s admonishment of Kelly, a decorated Naval officer and NASA Space Shuttle pilot, sharing a screed on social media about it. Pearlman also expanded on his lack of appreciation for what Smith brings to the political table.
@jeffpearlmanauthor I am beyond fed up with Stephen A. Smith and his uninformed, attention-seeking political garbage. #stephenasmith #markkelly #politics #america #trump ♬ original sound – Jeff Pearlman
“First of all, Stephen A. Smith is a moron. Just an absolute moron,” said Pearlman. “It is crazy that he now has a voice in politics. His takes are lazy, uninformed, uneducated. He doesn’t do research. He treats it the same way he treats talking about kickers in the NFL. It’s just bullsh*t, bluster nonsense, a way for him to get paid.
“Number two, probably 85% of Americans have some relative who served in the military. It’s easy. My dad was in the National Guard. ‘I had relatives who served in the National Guard’… If you didn’t serve, shut the f*ck up. You don’t actually know.
“But number three, Stephen A. Smith has decided to do this thing that is so f*cking disturbing. It started when he started appearing on Hannity. This is the same Sean Hannity who stood side by side with Donald Trump, actually spoke at Trump rallies. At the same time, Trump was doing everything in his power to convince people that Barack Obama was a Muslim, foreign-born terrorist. So, you, Stephen A. Smith, standing by this guy, your friend, who is totally fine with spreading birther rumors about Barack Obama.
“Stephen A. Smith has just decided he’s doing this thing. It’s interesting. He hates Jason Whitlock with a passion, but he’s really starting to do the same thing Jason Whitlock did, which is make white people feel comfortable with their own racism by standing alongside racists. Every time you stand alongside a Sean Hannity, every time you stand up for a Donald Trump, you’re basically allowing white people to say, ‘Look, that Black guy, he’s with me, so I can’t be racist.’ You are doing that. I know you don’t see it, but you’re doing it.
“The worst part of it all is, Stephen A. Smith is just uninformed. The next time he says something about politics that’s insightful, that’s researched, that is eye-opening, but in an informational way, will be the first time. It just doesn’t exist with him. This is all attention, attention, attention. He needs to grab the oxygen. He needs to convince conservative whites that they should listen to him while still also convincing liberal, Black and Latinos and whites that they should listen to him. It is an act. It is bullsh*t.
“And you sit there bashing people like Mark Kelly, actual veterans, who actually served, is just ludicrous. You just need to freaking stop because you don’t know what you’re talking about. It is all just attention for you and money for you, which is really bullsh*t in these dangerous times.”
That’s a pretty strong take about a guy known for punching back, so we’ll see if Pearlman ends up as a topic on an upcoming Smith program.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.