Stephen A. Smith, a commentator for ESPN, has been questioned about his recent comments on voting for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. On a podcast, hosts Cari Champion and Jemele Hill suggested that Smith's comments were targeting Black women, specifically Harris, who is a Black woman.
Smith referenced a moment from ABC's "The View" in October 2024, where Harris said she couldn't think of anything she would do differently than Joe Biden. Smith suggested that Harris's loyalty to Biden was the reason she made this statement, and that it was an opportunity for her to showcase her own qualifications and policies.
Hill suggested that Harris was trying to lean into Biden's accomplishments, while Champion pressed Smith on why he regretted voting for Harris, given that he had previously supported her. Smith explained that he had voted for Harris and supported her throughout the election, but that his regret was expressed after the fact, not before.
Champion accused Smith of targeting Black women specifically, and suggested that he could have made his point without saying he regretted voting for Harris. Smith countered that his comments were a disagreement, not a disparagement.
The exchange on the podcast also touched on Smith's dispute with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. Harris's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Curtis Houck, managing editor of the Media Research Center's NewsBusters.org, praised Smith's comments as "refreshing honesty" and suggested that more commentators and journalists should be willing to admit when they're wrong or express regret.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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