Stephen A. Smith Tells 'The View' He Won't Apologize for His White House Dinner With Trump, Maher and Kid Rock
The ESPN host was pressed by Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro over the Oct. 15 meeting. He says he pushed Trump on the Iran war, predicts Republicans keep the Senate and lose the House, and says he will keep talking to the president.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith took questions about his White House dinner on ABC's "The View" Wednesday and did not back down. Fox News reports he told the co-hosts he would not apologize for meeting with President Trump.
The exchange. Co-host Sunny Hostin cited what she called Trump's "history of racial bias" and asked whether the meeting got Smith anywhere. "I don't know. We'll find out, but he's the president of the United States, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to try," he said. He added that many people ask why anyone should bother talking to Trump. "Whether you like him or not, he's the president of the United States of America. He's not going away until 2028. At least."
Who was there. Smith met Trump at the White House on Oct. 15 with comedian Bill Maher and Kid Rock. Kid Rock told "Fox & Friends" the group agreed "socialism and communism has no place to have a foothold in our government," a reference he followed with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. He called the evening "epic" and said two Democrats and two Republicans broke bread and had tough conversations.
Pushback. Co-host Ana Navarro asked whether Smith pushed back on the president. He said he pressed Trump several times on the Iran war and that Maher grilled him too. He was sharp about the question itself. "I push back on Trump all the time," he said, pointing to his SiriusXM show. Fox says the co-hosts told Smith they had invited Trump onto the show, while Navarro said Tuesday there was "no way in hell" she would meet him.
Midterms. Asked about a possible impeachment after the midterms, Smith said he expects Republicans to keep the Senate and "probably lose the House." That is his prediction, not a reported fact. In his telling, House Democrats might vote to impeach, but Republicans "will step in and save him." He said he is "all about exhausting every means and every measure" in the interest of his community.
Fox's added voice. Nicholas Fondacaro of the Media Research Center's NewsBusters told Fox News Digital that "The View" hosts will never be asked to meet Trump and are not counted on to champion anyone's cause. He also said the hosts seemed shocked that Trump heard Smith out and called him a few days later before meeting others about an HBCU issue. Fox does not detail that issue. Fondacaro's comments are commentary, not reporting.