ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith got into a heated argument with Sean Hannity on Thursday night over the Fox News host’s take on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Hannity attacked the vice president over her recent media appearances, claiming she’s “struggling” and finding herself “tied up in a pretzel” because she can’t publicly express policy positions that she’s previously supported. “She has to, you know, give us word salads ’cause she won’t tell us how she really feels,” he claimed. “She’s hiding her true beliefs. Donald Trump doesn’t do that.”
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In response, Smith argued that as vice president, it “wasn’t her job to lead” and instead “has to go along with the program” set by President Joe Biden.
“That’s number one,” Smith said. “Number two: 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. We can’t be watching the same stuff if that’s what you’re doing—you ain’t gonna do that today!”
Hannity fired back by claiming that Smith’s “friends in the Democratic Party” had “ignored the obvious, significant, deep cognitive decline of the president for over four years,” adding that Harris “to this day says, ‘Oh, Joe was really cognitively alert.’”
“What is she supposed to say, Sean?!” Smith replied. “What is she supposed to say? She’s supposed to sit up there and say: ‘You know what? The president, my boss…’”
“The truth!” Hannity cut in. “How about the truth?”
The Fox host went on to accuse Harris of having lied about inflation and the security of the southern border.
“Are you sure you want to make the case about somebody lying, in favor of Trump?” Smith said, speaking over Hannity. “Are you sure about that?”
In closing, Smith acknowledged that many Americans will vote for the GOP nominee believing he will bring change in Washington, D.C.
“The question is, will it be for better or will it be for worse?” he said. “The cesspool that we look at as the nation’s capital—if you got him back in office and he’s on a revenge tour and he’s not focused on doing what it takes to lead the country, where will that lead the country? You’re not bringing that part up.”
He also took a parting shot at Hannity’s argument about Harris’ truthfulness as a candidate.
“When you bring up issues in terms of character or in terms of being truthful or whatever, let me tell you something right now,” Smith said. “You can bring a whole bunch of Republicans and I’d be cool with it—you can’t bring up Trump to make a case against somebody else using those arguments. You can’t do that.”
Hannity predicted that Smith would vote for Trump anyway.
“Never!” Smith said. “Never. And I told you, I’m on the record: I’d have voted almost for any Republican but him, OK? Nikki Haley, Chris Christie. I would have voted for someone else. Not him.”
Smith was apparently pleased enough with his performance to share an instantly meme-worthy moment from their clash on X.
