The left’s latest obsession may be blaming Donald Trump for everything from inflation to cloudy weather, but this week they somehow found a new target for their outrage: a Knicks loss.
After President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals, critics pounced when New York’s remarkable winning streak came to an end in a 115-111 loss to San Antonio. Never mind the turnovers, missed shots, defensive lapses, or the fact that basketball games are generally decided by the players on the floor. In the minds of some fans and media personalities, Trump’s mere presence was apparently enough to derail the franchise.
Leading the charge was ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who has spent years turning sports commentary into political theater whenever the cameras are rolling. The feud escalated after Trump reportedly mocked Smith’s intelligence, touching off yet another made-for-TV media spectacle.
Appearing on CNN’s “Laura Coates Live,” Smith responded with what amounted to a public challenge, daring the president to face him in a debate.
Asked about Trump questioning his IQ, Smith brushed off the insult by noting that Trump has used similar attacks against political opponents and media figures across the ideological spectrum.
“He questioned it about everybody, from Maxine Waters to Hakeem Jeffries to the Megyn Kellys of the world, the Tucker Carlsons of the world. It isn’t just Black folks, it’s white folks, too. I get it. I understand it. It’s his default position when he really has no comeback because he knows, as a New York Knick fan, he had no business being there,” Smith said.
Then came the challenge. “But if he really, really wants to get down to the nitty gritty and really want to challenge me about my I.Q., I welcome a sit down with him, I welcome him on the debate stage.”
Smith went on to take a swipe at Trump’s past jokes about serving beyond two terms, saying: “You know, you’re the president of United States. You’ve joked around about circumventing the 22nd Amendment and running for a third term. Well, if you can pull off those strings, particularly the pull that you’ve got with the FCC or anything like that, why don’t you find a way to allow me to keep my money and my job at ESPN and SiriusXM and still walk on that debate stage?”
And then the sports pundit delivered the line sure to dominate cable news clips for days: “I will be happy to show up against President Trump. Since you think that my I.Q. is questionable, you want to find out? Want some? Come get some! I’ll show up.”
CNN host Laura Coates eagerly played along, joking that she’d be the only acceptable moderator before wrapping up the segment.
