Stephen A. Smith is backtracking comments he made on Fox News last week where he called Donald Trump “relatable” to the Black community due to his ongoing criminal trial.
The famed sports commentator took to his YouTube channel on Monday, April 22, to issue a formal apology to the Black community for speaking on their behalf while on Sean Hannity’s show last week. Smith offered “one last” explanation of what he was trying to say and how his message got misconstrued in the media.
“I’m fully aware that I have been in the news the last few days. Paraded all over social media as well after comments I made on Fox News’ Hannity last week…A lot of folks in Black America seem pretty pissed at me right now,” he said before the noting those he offended, which included family, friends, and even the NAACP.
tom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad1">“Quite a few folks were offended as my words were interpreted as associating support for Trump by the Black community with all the legal issues he’s facing. For that, I sincerely apologize. I’m stating right here for the record that I was taken out of context.”
Smith noted how offended he was by his words being misinterpreted while taking accountability and ownership for what he said and how it upset the people he represents. He went on to call out Trump’s “history of issues” that would warrant Black people not supporting his campaign.
“We’ll never forget how Trump claimed Obama, the nation’s first Black president, wasn’t even qualified to hold office because he was born in Kenya,” Smith said.
Going back to Trump’s current success in the polls surrounding the 2024 presidential election, Smith brought attention to headlines from major media publications sharing stories that highlight Trump’s growing support among communities of color.
“I read. I listened and I’m seeing a momentum shift,” Smith said about his comments on Fox News. “Anywhere I appear, no matter my subjectivity related to what I feel, is still going to be
based on facts being presented into the stratosphere. But it’s never exercised with malice on my heart and certainly never to assault or harm the Black community, my community…Just because my intent was harmless, doesn’t mean my words will harm less, and I know that.”His message came days after he sat down with Sean Hannity and seemingly credited Trump’s growing support with Black voters to his ongoing criminal trial on alleged election fraud and hush money.
“As much as people may have been abhorred by Donald Trump’s statement weeks ago talking about how black folks he is hearing that black folks find him relatable because of what he is going through it is similar to what black Americans have gone through he wasn’t lying, he was telling the truth,” Smith told Hannity.
The NAACP wasted no time calling out the “First Take” host for seemingly defending Trump’s statements and reports of him being “relatable” to Black people.
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