Stephen A. Smith may be best known for his sports commentary, but he has not shied away from talking about a number of topics, including politics. During a recent appearance at the Semafor Media Summit, the ESPN host spoke openly about his previous interactions with former President Donald Trump.
“I knew Trump before he ran for the presidency. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to him. He was a huge sports fan. He used to throw a lot of events at … you know, at his casinos and stuff like that, and I genuinely liked them,” Smith said.
Smith is far from the only figure in pop culture to interact with the former President throughout the years. From the 1980s through 2016, Trump was photographed alongside entertainers and athletes like Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg and of course, Kanye West. In recent years, many of Trump’s former acquaintances in entertainment have distanced themselves from him, including Smith. The ESPN host has raised issues with Trump’s politics, but he does not feel the former President is racist.
“I didn’t know who this guy was running for president. I think he’s changed, but I will tell you this: I think when people call him racist and stuff like that, I’ve never thought of Trump that way,” Smith continued.
“It’s not, he’s not against Black people. He’s against old things not named Trump.”
When asked about his political leanings, Smith reportedly said that he’d be open to voting for a Republican candidate, but he’s “beyond voting for Trump.”
