Stephen A. Smith has escalated his war of words with Donald Trump – even mocking him for allegedly falling asleep at the NBA Finals – after the president questioned his IQ.
Trump was among the crowd at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the New York Knicks-San Antonio Spurs series on Monday night. The president was booed by many at MSG and even appeared to doze off during the game.
ESPN star Smith – who has teased his own run for the White House – was earlier among those to criticize the president for going to the game, in part because it caused a shutdown of large areas of Manhattan.
He called Trump ‘selfish and narcissistic,’ prompting the president to bite back. ‘I think he’s a nice guy,’ Trump said.
‘But you need a certain aptitude to run for President. You need a high IQ. I’m not sure Stephen has that. I don’t think he does actually.’
On Tuesday, Smith doubled down on his criticism of Trump, suggesting he was to blame for the Knicks 115-111 loss at home.
Stephen A. Smith escalated his feud with Donald Trump after the president questioned his IQ
Trump, invited by Knicks owner James Dolan, and granddaughter Kai were viciously booed
He again accused the president of being ‘selfish’ and ‘narcissistic’ and claimed the president ‘pretends to love’ the Knicks.
‘I’m not going to accuse him of snoring because I wasn’t in earshot but the brother wasn’t awake,’ Smith said about Trump, who later insisted he wasn’t booed.
‘If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep? Didn’t you call our former president Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe?” Well what should we call you?’
Smith added: ‘It’s clear you need your rest, isn’t it? The New York Knicks need it too. Give New Yorkers a break.
‘Stay at the White House, go to Mar-a-Lago, go to Bedminster, do whatever it is you have to do. Just stay the hell away from the New York Knicks for the rest of this series.’
Smith, a native New Yorker and Knicks fan, said he ‘laughed’ when he heard Trump questioning his IQ.
He responded by accusing the president of ‘running’ from a debate ‘for the last year’ and slammed him for the damage he caused by forcing the shutdown around MSG.
‘I thought you were about the economy? I thought you were about helping New Yorkers because you love New York?
Trump took a shot at ESPN star Smith while talking to reporters before boarding Air Force One
The president watched Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs silence Madison Square Garden
‘I thought you were about making money for people?’ Smith said before mentioning parking garages, watch parties and restaurants that missed out on custom on Monday night.
‘We know you’ve made a lot of money. We know you keep making money. But have the New York Knicks benefitted? The answer to that happened to be no.’
The ESPN star – who last year signed a $100million deal with the network – suggested the atmosphere suffered by Trump being there and that the performances of Knicks players dipped when he turned up, too.
‘This is what you’ve done. I thought you were a New Yorker, Mr President. I thought you cared. I thought it mattered to you.’
