Stephen A. Smith: Donald Trump is ‘Not Against Black People’

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith raised a couple of eyebrows Monday when he said that former president of the United States, Donald Trump is “not against black people.”

“I knew Trump before he ran for the presidency,” Smith told the audience at the Semafor Media Summit. “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 him,” Smith said before adding, “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. “He’s not against Black people, he’s against all things not named Trump. There’s a difference.”

Smith also admitted to also having conservative views and that he is not “beyond voting Republican” but he also clarified that, “I am beyond voting for Trump.”

He mentioned that his feelings about Trump are not because of the former president’s politics but because the presidency required “statesmanship.” He feels that the president shouldn’t divide the country but that person should want to galvanize it.

.@stephenasmith says he no longer talks to Trump: “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. He’s not against black people, he’s against all things not named Trump.” pic.twitter.com/oFcOra6zkL

— Semafor (@semafor) April 10, 2023

Although Trump has thrown his hat into the ring to run for the presidency again, he is facing multiple court challenges that threaten his freedom to take office if he is elected.

Last week, Trump, 76, became the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in a case stemming from a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump also faces a separate criminal probe by a Democratic local prosecutor in Georgia into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state. He also faces two U.S. Justice Department investigations led by a special counsel into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.