Stephen A. Smith Holds Nothing Back in Exclusive With Mediaite: From CNN and Fox News Controversies to Why He’d Make a Great President

Stephen A. Smith opened up about his career, the media industry, the political landscape and what’s next for him in a wide-ranging new interview with Mediaite.

As the host of First Take on ESPN,  Smith might just be the most buzzed about sports commentator in America — delivering a daily dose of hot takes live each day. Now, thanks to the launch of his new podcast Know Mercy, which features frank interviews with big name guests, Smith has moved beyond sports to comment politics, media and more.

Smith spoke with Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin for an episode of The Interview podcast released Tuesday, soon after the publication of his bestselling new memoir, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes. During their conservation, the two discussed Smith’s career, the world of sports, politics, and recent criticism of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, as well as his thoughts on Don Lemon’s controversial comments about women in their “prime.”

The ESPN host, true to form, held nothing back. When McLaughlin asked if he has any ambitions to run for political office, Smith said absolutely not — before outlining at length why he’d make a great president with a cabinet that reflected the American people.

See highlights from the conversation below.

On whether he self-censors in the age of social media

Yes, but I self-censor because I’m responsible. What I mean by that is, Aidan, I represent ESPN, which is owned by Walt Disney. So you know what? I don’t want to say the wrong things, meaning you don’t want to curse and stuff like that over FCC airwaves. You don’t want to come across as insensitive when you’re representing the brand. You have to be responsible enough to recognize that you don’t represent just yourself when you have these airwaves available to you. You represent a commodity, an entity that employs you. So in that regard, the word, you know, just being responsible comes to light. But I don’t want to say careful, because I think that when you say careful. What happens is, is that we have so many people that do believe in being so, quote unquote, careful that they come across as very phony and inauthentic. And that’s not something I’m going to allow to happen. To me, that is the ultimate taboo in a line of work that I do. When people look at me for better or worse. I want them to know, I mean, exactly what the hell I say, and I say what I mean.

…

I’m literally speaking live extemporaneously, off the cuff, on live television. That can get grating at times. But I’ve said this to ESPN, and I’ve said this to anybody publicly, and I’ll never apologize for it because I mean it. The only thing that’s hard about it is ESPN, because because of how ESPN may react to the tsunami of criticism that might come my way. I’m the type of person that if I did something wrong, I’ll apologize. You know, if I if I believe I’m right, I don’t give a damn. If an army is against me, I’ll still stand up and say, I believe I’m right. And I don’t worry about the criticism. I only worry about how my bosses are going to feel about that criticism. There is a difference.

On whether he wants to run for political office in the future

No. No. You know why? Because I got to run for election. It’s not the job. It’s the campaign. I’m confident. Listen, you call me, you might call me crazy. I am not trying to proclaim, I’m some aficionado that knows it all. Hell, I wouldn’t even know how to pronounce most of their names until they taught me. For crying out loud. I talk about elected officials across the world. But what I’m saying to you is that my heart will be in the right place. I would think about what’s good for America, not just a segment of America… I’d have a hell of a staff. I’m talking about the ambassador to the U.N. or, you know, the ambassador to another country or you’re talking about my Treasury secretary, the head of my Education Department. I mean, the list goes on and on. National security, my defense secretary. Oh, Lord, have mercy. Because I would find the people that know. I would pick the best. And not only that, it wouldn’t be partisan. I would be the one making decisions, but there would be a potpourri of opinions that are brought together. I’d want to hear all sides before I reached a decision. I’m that kind of guy. I don’t want to hear people who are just like minded and telling me what I want to hear or telling me what side they believe I tilt on. I want it all. And that way I make the best decisions in the interest of America.

I don’t think I could ever get elected having that approach. But if I didn’t have to campaign, do I think that I would be a hell of a president? Yes.

On Don Lemon’s remarks about “women in their prime”

That hurt me because I like Don Lemon. Don Lemon, I’ve been on his show on several occasions. He’s interviewed me many times. I thought he had a good show on CNN following Cuomo… What Don Lemon said was incredibly irresponsible and incredibly wrong. First of all, in talking about Nikki Haley. And talking about and I’m not piling on. I don’t want to throw shade on him. It was a mistake. I think he should be forgiven. Let him go on and live his life. These people that want him to lose his job because of it and all that. He messed up y’all. We all mess up. I mean, people need to get over it.

First of all, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s — He said that’s when a woman’s in their prime. I know some women in their forties and their fifties that look a hell of a lot better than some women in their twenties. I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. Age has nothing to do with it. That’s number one.

Number two, she’s not some runway model for Victoria’s Secret or some other magazine or Essence magazine or something. This is a presidential candidate and a former governor, the first lady of a state. What are you talking about, she’s beyond her prime? What’s the matter with you? You know, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in the Supreme Court until her eighties… It made absolutely, positively no sense.

In the full version of the conversation, Smith also dives into his impeccable style and his perspective on the road to success in journalism and broadcasting. Download the full episode here, and subscribe to The Interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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