Stephen A. Smith now knows how to deal with President Donald Trump and he’s willing to share his key to success. Just be nice.
Monday night, Smith addressed Trump’s recent executive order promising support for HBCUs, while simultaneously proposing not to renew a $64 million payment to Howard University for a completed hospital. Trump could have renewed the payment, but Smith notes the president doesn’t like the way he’s been treated by the board at Howard University.
Smith has enjoyed his interactions with Trump. So what’s the difference between Smith and Howard University? Smith is nice to the president.
“Whether you’re an elected politician, or you’re somebody that’s gonna have to do business with him. you’re gonna have to recognize, you’re gonna have to appease him,” Smith said.
Smith knows this because he’s coming off a pleasant interaction with Trump. Last week, Smith co-hosted a town hall on NewsNation alongside Chris Cuomo and Bill O’Reilly, which featured a phone interview with Trump. During the interview, Trump was asked about Smith’s political future and the current president was quick to offer praise, even encouraging the ESPN personality to make a run at the White House in 2028.
According to Smith, it was the first time they had spoken since before Trump’s first term as president. Smith has previously stated he used to see Trump at sporting events, where they would have friendly interactions. But those went away when Trump turned political.
How did Stephen A. Smith win Donald Trump over so quickly last week after years of ripping the current president? Manners.
“I’ve been critical of him for years. But he was nice on NewsNation,” Smith said. “You know why? I said, ‘Good evening, Mr. President. Good to talk to you.’ Something as simple as that!”
Smith proceeded to cite Trump’s appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago last summer, which quickly went off the rails. But according to Smith, the appearance could have been saved if ABC’s Rachel Scott began the event by saying ‘hello’ to Trump.
“It matters to him,” Smith said. “If you want to do business with him, you’re going to have to make sure that you’re ready to engage in some level of capitulation, even if it’s something as simple as being well-mannered.”
Spoken like a true politician. There was a time where Republican senators referred to Trump as a “con artist, a “jackass,” a “pathological liar” and a “sniveling coward.” But like Smith, they learned how to work with him by sucking up.
