Stephen A. Smith has not fully endorsed a presidential candidate yet, but it doesn’t sound like Joe Biden or Donald Trump would be his choice.
On the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the popular ESPN host discussed Trump’s fundraising boom after the former president’s mug shot was released. Trump’s campaign claims they have raised over $9 million since he turned himself into Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, last week. And as the money pours in for the toxic Republican candidate, Smith believes the Democratic Party would be “stupid” to rely on President Biden to beat Trump.
“You have any idea how stupid you’re going to look as a party [if you nominate Biden]?” Smith said. “First of all, you look stupid enough because you call yourself progressives. And you’re riding the coattails of a guy that’s going to be 82 years old during election year, begging him to run for reelection.
“You call yourself progressives, and the best you can do is an 82-year-old that’s already in office, an 82-year-old incumbent. I personally believe, if it wasn’t for these damn high taxes out here in California, I would be a Gavin Newsom supporter.”
While California’s taxes remain a deterrent for Smith, Newsom’s interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity has him believing the younger Democrat is a viable option to challenge Trump.
“I’ve never seen, since Biden has been president, anyone on the liberal side that has been more forceful, more convincing, and more defying against the right than Gavin Newsom,” Smith said. “And more effective. He was brilliant.
“But then I come out to California, and these damn taxes, they invent ways to take your money in this state. So that might be problematic. But I got to tell you. I still approve of that. Better than you relying on an 82-year-old candidate.”
It’s widely assumed that Newsom has presidential aspirations, but the 55-year-old Governor of California has not announced any intention to run in 2024, having publicly voiced support for Biden instead.
Smith has praised Newsom; he also promoted the fundraising campaign of Republican candidate Chris Christie a few months ago. But Smith admitted he would vote for Biden over Trump if forced to choose.
“What you can’t have is a former president, who you know if he gets reelected, will focus on nothing but exacting vengeance against those who opposed him,” Smith said of Trump. “We won’t have a democracy being run, we’d have an anarchy being run. And an anarchist running it.”
[Mediaite, The Stephen A. Smith Show]