Stephen A. Smith on Fox News with Sean Hannity Photo credit: Fox News

Stephen A. Smith’s Fox News appearances might be a mixed bag, but his Donald Trump rant put Sean Hannity through the wringer Thursday night.

Smith and Hannity have a well-documented friendship, but that doesn’t stop them from engaging in heated political debates. And during Smith’s latest Fox News appearance, Hannity welcomed the ESPN host by criticizing Kamala Harris’s public speaking ability.


“She’s like tied up like a pretzel,” Hannity said of the Democratic nominee for president. “She has to give us word salads because she won’t tell us how she really feels. She’s hiding her true beliefs. Donald Trump doesn’t do that.”

The “Trump doesn’t do that” part caught Smith’s attention, as he rejected Hannity’s attempt at making it seem like the 78-year-old GOP nominee for president is devoid of public missteps.

“I know you’re not talking about somebody being lucid and cogent and enunciating their thoughts with clarity, and you’re bragging about Donald Trump,” Smith quickly pushed back. “We can’t be watching the same stuff!”

“I have sat with him for hour after hour after hour, topic after topic after topic, and he is so dialed in,” Hannity insisted while attempting to reassemble his thoughts. “You know, it’s funny, people try. This is like the latest argument,” the Fox News host continued before pointing his finger at Harris for ignoring President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline in recent years.

“What is she supposed to say, Sean?” Smith asked. “You don’t dime out your boss. I do tell the truth on my show, but I’m not going to dime out my boss if that’s my boss.”

Smith’s Fox News appearances don’t always go this way. Earlier this year, Smith went on Hannity’s show and defended Trump’s appeal to Black voters. But for this segment, the memes and screenshots going around social media declared Smith the winner without even needing to hear what was said. Even Smith admits Hannity is more well-versed in politics than he is, but the Fox News host is nowhere near the performer and showman that ESPN’s preeminent personality is.

Hannity can’t out-debate Smith because Smith moves too quickly and loudly. He has a rebuttal for everything and refuses to be outtalked. So even if Hannity wants to get a minute to peddle Trump, Smith can reject it before his Fox News buddy gets an opportunity to talk.

[Fox News]

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