Full Show: What’s Lebron playing for? Knicks advance! Interview with Black conservative Royce White.

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
What's up, everybody. Welcome to the latest edition of The
steven A. Smith Show, coming at you as I love
to do it the very least three times a week
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(00:32):
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our newest content. And while you're doing that, please make
sure to get a copy of my New York Times
best selling book, Straight Shooter, a Memoir of Second Chances
and First Takes now and paperback.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Just go to straight shootobook dot com get yourself a copy.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Once getting that straight shootobook dot Com to get yourself
a copy, I'm gonna get into a few things as
the show progress is very very compelling interview. I think
if you listen to it, it'll shock your core when
you consider the conversation that I'm about to have and
a person that I'm about to have it with, because
I promise you it's not something that you see too often.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
That's Number one.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Number two the President of the United States of America,
the forty seventh President of the United States of America,
mister Donald Trump, somebody that I've tried to tell y'all
that I knew a little bit because we used to
speak off and on throughout the years up until he
ran for the presidency. Any other night when I was
on News Nation with Chris Cromore and Bill O'Reilly and
he called in, that was the first time I had

(01:36):
spoken to him and approximately eleven years. So I'll be
getting into all of that in just a few minutes,
but not before I get started with the NBA playoffs,
as the first round comes to an end this weekend.
Earlier this week, we saw the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated
from playoff contention at home by the way by aunt
Man himself, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
The Lakers lost in.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Five and the team met with the media yesterday to
talk about the offseason and what needs to happen heading
into next year. Head coach JJ Reddick had one thing
on his mind yesterday when talking about what the Lakers
need to do to improve. Take a listen.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
I'll start with the offseason and the work that's required
in an offseason to be in championship shape. And you know,
we have a ways to go as a roster, and
certainly there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There's
certainly other ones that could have been in better shape.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
First things first, obviously he's talking about Luka Doncic. It
doesn't take a nine style to figure that out. That
may not be the only person he's talking about, but
clearly he's talking about him. At the very least, he's
the one that's going to have the ball in his
hands the majority of the time. He's going to be
the frase of the franchise for the next decade, for
you know, or at least a foreseeable future. He is
a basketball iconic superstar globally, I might add, And so

(02:58):
because of that, you're looking at him. You know, the
conditioning or lack thereof the manner in which he was attacked,
the man the fact that in Game five and the
close out game, he gave up non blowbots for crowd
out loud. That is something that has to be rectified.
JJ Reddick knows that, and his willingness to speak about
that is not hypocritical in any way, Ladies and gentleman,
because JJ Reddicks say what you all about him, But

(03:19):
he has always been somebody that has been in shape.
He was always his pension and what rode his success
through Duke as an All American and then ultimately on
the professional basketball level was the fact that JJ Reddick's
movement without the ball was obviously a very, very significant thing.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
The man has always been in shape.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
So when he talks about one's conditioning, it's not like
we can look at him and call him out for anything.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
We certainly can't do that. That's number one.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Number two, when the Lakers talk about improving their roster,
understand that they don't have a boatload of things to
work with. You got some players, the Austin Reeves, the
ruy Hot chamor is the Jared Vanderbilts of the world
that gave Vincens of the world. All of them are
hovering around anywhere from eleven to thirteen million in salary.
The problem with the Auster Reeves is making about thirteen million.
If you move him, how much equitable conversation are you

(04:05):
getting in return? He's established himself as a bona five,
number three option for the Los Angeles Lake. He's averaged
about twenty points game this year. He's improved vastly, and
if you're gonna move him, okay, what kind of equitable
conversation are you gonna get in return for his services?
Because at thirteen million dollars, again, the salaries don't necessarily match,
he's grossly underpaid. So because he's grossly underpaid, you know,

(04:28):
it's one of those situations where if you move him,
you're gonna get short changed on the return. I don't
know about that. But the biggest thing it brings me
to is wondering having me wondering about Lebron James. If
Lebron James decides to come back for his twenty third season,
which everybody in their grandmama believes he will, I think.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
A legitimate question to be asked is what is he
playing for?

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Do You'll understand that since Lebron James has arrived in
Los Angeles, they missed the playoffs, they won a championship
in the bubble, but then they spent the next three
years or four years or so either missing the playoffs
and getting bounced in the first round, and at least
once they were swept. Since twenty twenty, okay, Lebron James

(05:20):
has gone to the Western Conference finals. Darvin Ham's first year,
all right, but other than that, he's been home in
the first round or before then. So you look at
the Los Angeles Lakers right now, you look at the
rest of the Western Conference ladies and gentlemen. Okay, So
he's not going anywhere. Houston's not going anywhere, Minnesota's not

(05:41):
going anywhere. Dallas is not going anywhere. I gave you
four teams right there, and we don't even have to
count all the others. We's Denver gonna fade your kitchen
still around. Jamal Murray is still there, Aaron Gordon is
still there, Michael Porter Junior is still there. Where they going?

(06:03):
That's five teams. Clippers Lakers had their way with them
during the regular season. The Clippers are the ones still playing,
going up, going for a game seven tomorrow night in
Denver in the first ride of the.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Players, while the Lakers are already home and five five?

Speaker 1 (06:19):
What's up with them? So I gave you six teams
right there? Six teams. If you're Lebron James, at some
point in time, it's appropriate and fair to ask what
is he playing for? Because are the Lakers gonna win?

Speaker 4 (06:37):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (06:37):
So he's the one with the assets. Houston is the
one with the assets. Minnesota got ant Man and some
defensive wizards around them, Dallas Kyrie eventually will return, Anthony Davis,
Daniel Gafford, Derek Lively, they ain't going away. I'm just

(06:59):
saying we got to pay it at you to these things.
You're talking about five to six different teams for you
can think about the Lakers. Lebron James is still an
all world player. He's still one of the greatest, there
is no question in that. But if conditioning is an
issue with Luca and the ability of the Lakers front

(07:21):
office to do something to improve the roster or all
high question marks, where does that leave Lebron James? Is
he really playing to win, meaning does he believe that
he can win with him? Is he playing because he
just doesn't feel like relocating? Is he playing so his
other son could come into the NBA? These are the

(07:43):
questions that people are asking, and I think they're legitimate
because right now, with the Lakers going home in the
first round, it's almost so you can't even take their
regular season effort seriously anymore. You gotta wait until the
postseason when teams have the opportunity to plan and play.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Against them in the Best of seventh series.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
Can't ignore it. I certainly am not, and I don't
think the rest of you can either. The situation is
what it is, and there is absolutely positively nowhere around it.
By the way, as an aside to the people of Dallas,
can we take the heat off of Nico Harrison just

(08:25):
to touch because you talk about somebody that doesn't look
too bad today, it's Nico Harrison.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
Because when you look at Luka Doncic and you look at.

Speaker 1 (08:33):
The way everybody from Julius Randall to Mike Conley Jr.
Or an ant Man to a Jada McDaniels, when you
see the way everybody was blown right by him, he
is a defensive liability and offensively because they pressured him
ninety four feet for most of the game come fourth quarter,
a time he didn't have the legs. Is he going

(08:54):
to dedicate himself. Is he going to recognize that he's
the new face of the franchise for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Is he gonna understand the reporters of making sure he's
in peak condition so he could maximize his talents. Because
I got news for you. As great as Luca is,
and we all know he's great, you know somebody else

(09:15):
who's having just as big of an impact as Luca
is his former sub Jalen Brunson, who, by the way,
helped Luca carry the Dallas Mavericks to a Western Conference
finals about three years back. That same Jalen Brunson, who

(09:39):
the Dallas Mavericks didn't want to get fifty three million too,
and the Knicks ended up giving him over one hundred
and four million dollars too before signing them to a
new contract where he sacrificed one hundred million dollars which
he could have signed had he waited an extra year.
Just to ensure that the New York Knicks got their
boy Michel Bridges, his former boy at Villanova, to come
play with him with the New York Knick. Jaylen Brunson

(10:01):
did that. That same Jaylen Brunson has carried the Knicks
to a second consecutive berth into the Eastern Conference Semifinals
courtesy of a one sixteen, one to thirteen victory over
Detroit in Game six last night in Detroit. Jalen Brunston,
as I told you, was the star, dropping forty points

(10:21):
in the business, including a late three pointer with four
seconds left in the game to seal the victory. So
I'm looking at it, Jalen Brunson, and I'm saying to myself,
this is what he brings to the table. There's no
doubt about that. Mickel Bridges showed up in the open court.
When you let the brother flourish, what does he do?
He gets it done. He gets it done. Ann Anobe

(10:47):
can't say enough about the defense that he put on
Cane cutting him, held him like thirty two percent shooting
for the series. Karl Anthony Towns not impressed with his
offensive output.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
We need more, but we'll see what he does defensively.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
We'll see. So that's just where I'm at with it.
I look at the New York Nicks. I'm very, very
proud that they pulled this out, that they got out
of the first round, no doubt about that. They advanced
to the Eastern Conference second round. However, will they'll be
playing against the Boston Celtics, all right, And I'll get
to all of that some other time. For now, for
this moment, however, I'm gonna get to somebody you all

(11:25):
seem the love because he's got some things that he
wants to say, He's got some things that he wants
to add, wants to bring to the table. I can't
imagine what he is, but you know what, it's Friday.
I'm in a good mood. I don't mind letting my
nephew come on the show. That's right, nephew, Josh joining
me now to break it all down here he is?
What's up?

Speaker 5 (11:45):
Josh?

Speaker 1 (11:46):
How are you man?

Speaker 4 (11:47):
You see me?

Speaker 5 (11:48):
I'm in full cele.

Speaker 2 (11:50):
Are you see Are you sitting? Are you sitting at
my desk?

Speaker 5 (11:53):
This is not your desk anymore? This is our desk.

Speaker 6 (11:56):
So it's funny once again, you and your friends off
the hook. So jj Reddick is just allowed to, like
you said, he must be talking about Luka Doncik, isn't he.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
So that's one that's one of the things he's that's
one of the people he's talking about.

Speaker 6 (12:14):
Oh well, well, Luka Doncik is so out of shape
that JJ jj decided to play him the most minutes
on the team. He averages the most points on the team,
second in assists, No, first and assists and second and rebounds.

Speaker 1 (12:34):
Well, first of all, you're missing a point just because
he played them, because Luke is one of your best
players and you have to play him. And JJ Reddick
clearly showed that he wasn't willing to use his bench
because he lost complete faith in all of them. He's
just saying, what you have to do because of how
much you needed. He wasn't saying he wasn't saying that
the man is out of shape, he's a bum. He's
saying that you've got to be in championship.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
Shape to win a championship.

Speaker 1 (12:58):
Oh and that's that's actually factually correct.

Speaker 5 (13:02):
What would JJ Reddick know about that?

Speaker 1 (13:05):
Well, JJ Reddy didn't win a championship because he was
never a star player the game. But he was always
in shape and he was always considered one of the
best shooters in basketball. And by the way, I'm not
letting I'm not letting them off the hook, because listen,
he should have found a way to use his bench.
How you gonna go a whole second half gate.

Speaker 2 (13:19):
There and not use your bench once.

Speaker 1 (13:21):
That's egregious. You gotta use your bench.

Speaker 6 (13:23):
Or not use the center. You want to use the center,
you can't stop.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
Nobody had one. He doesn't really have one. I mean,
Jackson Hayes wasn't the answer. What are you gonna do, Josh,
that's the tallest.

Speaker 5 (13:34):
You played, the tallest player you the coach?

Speaker 1 (13:36):
No, no, no, no, no no.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
There's plenty of tall players that were scrubs.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
There's plenty of tall players that weren't active enough, that
didn't handle.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Their business the way that you would like them too.

Speaker 1 (13:44):
You can't go by that. Just because you tall don't
mean you automatically get asserted into the lineup. I mean, listen,
you're trying to tell me there ain't nobody on Golden
State that was taller than Draymond Green. But for the
longest time, they put Draymond Green out there and ask
him to embrace the challenges going on up against bigger dudes,
simply because you didn't have guys that were confident, knew
how of playing new the system.

Speaker 6 (14:05):
Does Rudy go Berr look like Hakeem Olajahon If you
have somebody out there with some hype twelve.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
If they if they can't play, if they can't play, yes,
because Rudy Gobert is like what three four time Defensive
Player of the Year. But also, you know what a
lot of putbacks and whatever you listen, the Lakers could
have got.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
They could have consummated the Mark Williams deal with Charlotte.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
They didn't do that, Okay, talking about he failed some
physical or whatever. They gotta go out and get it big.
We know they were too small, so they didn't have
the personnelity.

Speaker 6 (14:36):
The team, the teammates that they did have. Though you're
not gonna play Jared Vanderbilt.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
I thought so. I mean, big Perk made that, and
I think you gotta throw If you can throw out
Dory and Finney Smith and you could throw out Ruy
hot Chimore, you could throw Jered it out there. I
think I think the problem is is that Minnesota plays
defense so well you need it as much.

Speaker 2 (14:59):
A to firepower as you could possibly muster.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
Jared Vanderbilt doesn't have to be guarded, and that puts
Minnesota at that puts the Lakers that have decided disadvantage
when they're on offense.

Speaker 6 (15:09):
So I feel like the guy that was doing the
most work on the team is taking the most heat.
Even you just saying that Nico is not looking so
bad to that you still gave away Luca Danci for
for for for Anthony Davis. You're still getting bad.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, that remains to be seen. Don't what what what
if Dallas makes the finals next year?

Speaker 5 (15:29):
What if Dallas makes the finals? You got Dallas, I.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
Don't think hold it, you don't think they have a chance? No,
And do you know that? Do you know? Do you
think got a chance?

Speaker 5 (15:40):
Okay? See yeah, yes, do you.

Speaker 1 (15:44):
See did you realize that not only did Dallas bounce
them out in the playoffs last year, but did you
know that in the two meetings that Dallas had this
year without Luca they beat Okay?

Speaker 6 (15:54):
See yeah, that's that's that's that's okay. See, maybe they
match up well with them him, but I don't think
they match up with well with with with enough teams
in the West Dallas to make it to the finals
to make it through everybody.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
All right, let me let me switch to the Knicks
real quick. I know you were excited about them.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
I see you draft out and you better have paid
for that ship yourself.

Speaker 1 (16:13):
You bet not a charge it to my car.

Speaker 2 (16:14):
I'm kick your ass. I'll telling you that right now.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
You bet not.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
But let me ask you this question. Were you surprised
that Knicks won?

Speaker 1 (16:22):
Last name?

Speaker 5 (16:23):
Surprised?

Speaker 4 (16:24):
No? Yeah?

Speaker 5 (16:25):
Nah?

Speaker 1 (16:26):
Okay, all right? Do you believe do you are you
ready for this? Do you believe that Jalen Brunson is
the greatest nick ever?

Speaker 5 (16:35):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (16:35):
You wasn't here last year. I changed his name to MJ.
I call him Michael Jalen Brunson. I even put his
head on the little dunk emblem. And because the stats
that that show that you know, he's he's He's right,
he's right on that level of Michael Jordan. Like you know,
he may just be missing the Scottie Pip and Phil

(16:56):
Jackson or put together, but he might.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
You go with your ignorance, you always crossed in the
damn line.

Speaker 2 (17:02):
You're always going a little bit too far.

Speaker 1 (17:04):
Most forty points series clinching wins on road in NBA history,
Michael Jordan had four. Okay, he has two. Congratulations with that,
we understand that, do you. D Wade's up there, Charles
Barkley's up there. Giannis is up there or whatever. Stop
with the stop with the Jordan comparisions.

Speaker 5 (17:19):
No, no can I can? I can I do what
you do?

Speaker 4 (17:22):
Go ahead?

Speaker 5 (17:22):
How long? How long has you? How long was Jordan
in the league.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
Jordan was in the Leaf for fifteen years total, thirteen
in Chicago.

Speaker 6 (17:29):
So Jalen Brunson is about half that and he's half
his you know, forty point game situation.

Speaker 5 (17:34):
So he's on the trajectory.

Speaker 4 (17:36):
Now.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
I'm just talking about his size and his overall game.
He can't he couldn't defend like Jordan. Jordan's a nine
time All NBA defensive player, ten times scoring champions. So
it's not just stop it. Don't don't don't display, let
me not show you how ignorant you are today. But
let me ask you this, what do you think the
Nicks are gonna do against the Boston Celtics.

Speaker 6 (17:54):
Well, we gotta take you one game at the time,
break by break, we're gonna we're gonna break even in Boston,
and then we're gonna break even in New York. It's
step by step, we gotta go seven games. You gotta
make it nasty, and yeah, you gotta fight and you
gotta stay out the.

Speaker 1 (18:10):
Garden, gad, So I have to stay out the garden.

Speaker 6 (18:14):
Yeah, you know, you only show when when we you know,
when we at the brink of winning the series or
something like that.

Speaker 5 (18:21):
You don't be there through the wars and stuff.

Speaker 4 (18:23):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
First of all, I've gone there during the regular season.
I was on TV.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
I did a countdown from the Garden for Crying Out Lot,
and I flew from LA to do the show from
the Garden. That's number one, And that was the game
they got blown out. That game by Boston didn't even
make it a competition. But I was there when they
when they beat Philadelphia last year in the playoffs. Okay,
I was there. I was there this season for a
few games when they won as well. Don't don't put

(18:47):
that on me, but I will say this. I think
the Knicks are gonna lose the series in five.

Speaker 5 (18:53):
First time.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
I'm hopeful, but I think they're gonna lit.

Speaker 5 (18:55):
Fir. First of all, you're talking to me, so when
you mentioned in them games that you went to.

Speaker 6 (18:58):
I know it is for work. You don't go there
because you want to. People like me pay our hard
earned money to go. You got a free earn.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
Money to say you just lied you just lied.

Speaker 1 (19:08):
First of all, you're hard earned money, harder money. Which
one is it you either stealing from me you understead
of saying because that's what you do. You take take
my card and you talk. You you build tickets, and
then you let me know that you built the tickets.
You just said that last week. So which one is it?
Is it your hard earned money or is it you
saying I used your card.

Speaker 6 (19:26):
I'm speaking for the masses I spent. It's your money
that gets me into the next game. But I'm talking
about for the most part, the people in there spend their.

Speaker 5 (19:35):
Hard earned money.

Speaker 6 (19:36):
You get to come in for free, and you barely do.
You only come when we win in we don't like it.
Talk about the Lakers you want to be where as warm.
You're not from there, You're from here. See me representing.

Speaker 2 (19:48):
That's worry I spent you just this first time you
wore that. This is the first time you wore that.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
So I've got when I think about the Knicks, you
don't know any better because you're a young whipper snapper.
You're t too damn young siated. But Bernard King, I
know you've heard that name before. Patrick ewen Walt Clyde Fraser,
earl of promo role people like that. You know, Carmelo Anthony,
I would tell you that, you know, you got to

(20:13):
put Walt Clyde Fraser because that's a that's a that's
a guy that delivered the championship. Obviously it was several
decades before you even born. But bottom line is that's
what happened. Uh, that's the champion. Carmelo Anthony wanted that smoke.

Speaker 4 (20:27):
He was.

Speaker 2 (20:28):
He was damn good. But Jalen Brunson is next level.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
Ewing is there too, But Ewing was Obviously he continues
to get smacked down by Jordan.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
No shame in that. But I think what I hold
against you and is how he got out.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
Played against the King of Dream of log Wa in
the finals when the New York Knicks had a chance
and they weren't and Jordan wasn't in their way, then
he let a keem get in his way.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
I can't you know, I gotta look at that.

Speaker 6 (20:49):
So so what he's saying that who's who's the best
nick ever?

Speaker 5 (20:52):
But I did hear that conversation I.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Got, I got I would go to I would go
with Walt Clyde Fraser that's what I'm gonna go with
until that's right, that's what I'm going that's what I'm
gonna go with. A champion, A champion, that's what I'm
gonna go with. But let me ask you this man,
uh before I let you get on out of here,
what's this about? You had about some goat list or whatever?
What's all your mind? What's that about?

Speaker 5 (21:14):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (21:14):
Like I got like a goat list, Like it's a
new one. Because we argue about Lebron and Jordan a lot,
but it's people like ant Man that is like he's
on the trajectory. He's been on Minnesota, He's the number
one pick. Every year, he gets better every year he
goes further, and it's like, at what point do we
start to like put them people in the Jokic three.

(21:36):
MVP's already got a chap, Jannis, your MVP's defensive place.

Speaker 5 (21:41):
Is we got to start a new uh flux you
weighting lists?

Speaker 6 (21:47):
You like to call it fluid, I'm gonna call it
flush you in my words, bigger than yours, And yeah,
I think we should.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
A longer huh longer word, but go ahead.

Speaker 6 (21:57):
Yeah, I think it's something that we can get into
after every game. It could change up depending on what
I feel like.

Speaker 5 (22:02):
Shaane's on it.

Speaker 4 (22:03):
In other words, you.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
Want to have a goat discussion, but you wanted to
be something that changes after every damn game.

Speaker 5 (22:10):
Yeah, because that's what the goat. That's what the goat is.

Speaker 6 (22:12):
This whole Michael Jordan, this whole Michael Jordan stuff.

Speaker 5 (22:17):
Y'all. Don't let go. Y'all, don't let go. Nothing new
could come in.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
Because we don't want to let go of facts. We
want to let go facts, the fact. We don't want
to let go of fat Josh, have you ever seen
Michael Jordan play?

Speaker 6 (22:33):
Yeah, I'm you know in thirty six. Yes, I've seen
Michael Jordan play I'm just not moved.

Speaker 5 (22:39):
I was moving at the time.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
Did you say, you said you're not moved?

Speaker 4 (22:43):
I was? I was.

Speaker 6 (22:44):
I was moving at the time. But now I know
that y'all only show us the makes What about the missus.

Speaker 5 (22:50):
He didn't win six straight finals?

Speaker 1 (22:53):
Yeah, he just he won three. He three pedd twice
and a two years that he didn't win was because
he retire.

Speaker 5 (23:01):
No, No, he lost to Orlando. I was there for that.

Speaker 1 (23:03):
Excuse me, excuse me. He lost in ninety he lost
in ninety four, right, and then ninety five he came
back with seventeen games left in the regular season after
playing baseball. I was because he dropped the double nickel
on the Knicks that year before the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (23:18):
You forgot about that, didn't you.

Speaker 4 (23:21):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
Be quiet, Say goodbye to the audience, and that your
uncle Steve just had to school you and your noviceself say.

Speaker 5 (23:28):
About the fifty five point game. It's not enough, Nickel Lebron.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
Goodbye, Josh, ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 1 (23:38):
He has to go.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
I've got work to do coming up.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
Sinko de Mayo is a few days away, and that
means we need to keep an eye on boxing. I've
got five fights this weekend we need to pay attention to.
I'll break them down straight ahead. But first, he was
a former NBA player, but now he's a GOP candidate
for the United States Senate from the state of Minnesota.
I'm talking about the one and only Royce White. One

(24:01):
of the most compelling interviews I've ever had. I can't
wait till y'all listen to him. I know I enjoyed it.
Stay tuned. This is the Stephen A.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
Smith Show.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
Don't go away all right, Everybody, listen up with all
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The Stephen A. Smith Show wants to make sure you
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dollar lineup. Prospects run your game. My next guest was
selected as the sixteenth overall pick by the Houston Rockets

(25:14):
in the twenty twelve NBA Draft. Today, he's in a
different arena now as a GOP candidate for the US
Senate from the state of Minnesota. Please welcome mister Royce
White to the show to Stephen A. Smith Show. What's
going on?

Speaker 7 (25:28):
Man?

Speaker 1 (25:28):
How you doing? How's everything?

Speaker 4 (25:30):
I'm good man, Thanks for having me on. I really
appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (25:32):
Man, Please, the pleasure is all mine. I'm always interested
in hearing what somebody like yourself has to say. So,
you ran in twenty twenty four in Minnesota against Emmy
clover Shaw. You lost that election, but you got forty
percent of the vote this time. Now you're campaigning to
run for the Senate in twenty twenty six. First of all, why,

(25:56):
and most importantly do you think you can win this time?

Speaker 4 (26:00):
Again?

Speaker 7 (26:00):
I want to say thank you for having me on.
I appreciated a great deal. And I also appreciate you
having the great Steve Benning on recently. That's what, you know,
got me to reach out to you and try and
talk to you as well. Bennon is obviously a friend
of mine and an even better mentor. We call him
the Happy Warrior because he takes his scrutiny and his
prosecution in some cases, you know, which hunt lawfare that's

(26:22):
going on with a smile on his face. Me, I'm
more of the young bull kind of fire breathing nationalists,
populous part of the Magma movement, the young Maga movement.
So I appreciate you, even me giving me a platform.
We know we've gone through a long time in this
country where people like me couldn't speak. As far as
the elections go, Look, I think there are a lot
of problems still with our elections, especially in Minnesota. I

(26:44):
think letting illegal immigrants vote in elections is something that's
an issue here in the state of Minnesota, as well
as many other places in the country. Obviously, Donald Trump
is fighting back against that, and hopefully he can get
some legislation with some teeth to help out on that
front in twenty twenty six. Ultimately, we know the machines
are an issue. And I don't say that as a conspiracy,
although if you go to my Wikipedia just a month back,

(27:07):
it said American conspiracy theorist in the first sentence, but
actually Amy klobersh are both Amy clobershar and I think
Kamala Harris at the time had a demonstration before a
Senatorial committee back in twenty eighteen that demonstrated the machines
have security issues. At that time, they were trying to
say the Russians could hack our elections now or after.

(27:31):
In twenty twenty, of course, the elections were completely safe.
So what I'm doing it for, and what Bannon sort
of commissioned me to do, is to be a younger
voice that speaks to the growing wedge or divide in
American politics and really politics all around the world, which
is a more proto globalist establishment, meaning a thought process

(27:56):
that believes in global citizenship in a world without borders
for lack of you know, more or less, versus a
more nationalist mindset that says there's value in nationhood, there's
value in the nation state, there's value in national identity
and national citizenship. And that's what I've been doing since
twenty twenty two. I tried to run against Ilhana twenty

(28:17):
twenty two. I lost the primary there. I came back
in twenty four, won a statewide prime. Then it was
only Congression District twenty twenty four was obviously state wide
in the primary, And so we're moving the needle and
to be quite honest. The number one thing I want
to say to you, steven A, before we even get going,
is what really drew me in to run as a
Republican is how dishonest the narrative was about the Republican Party.

(28:40):
If you remember Donald Trump coming down the escalator in
twenty fifteen sixteen, his number one enemy was not the
Democrat Party, who he had fundraised for and had many friends,
And the number one enemy was the proto globalist Republican
establishment led by George Bush and the rest of his
counterparts in that echelon Republican Party. And we're fighting the

(29:01):
same thing here in Minnesota still to this day. That
Republican establishment has a stronghold on the party, and I
represent the more grassroots movement that's fighting back.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
Well, when you say you represent the more grassroots movement,
is that your way of saying you've been disappointed in
what conventional Republicans were doing up until the moment you
decided to run in twenty twenty two and then twenty
four or are you just simply saying these times call
for a different kind of Republican and that's what you
want to represent.

Speaker 4 (29:32):
I'd say both to take a step back.

Speaker 7 (29:37):
A lot of people who are watching the show will
probably know my name from being drafted, like you said,
and my problems or my fight with the NBA, and
we don't have time to go into all those misconceptions,
though they are many, but I think they're much more
interesting and important things for us to talk about.

Speaker 4 (29:54):
Especially along policy.

Speaker 7 (29:55):
But it is important because my story back in twenty
twelve was a microcop of what we faced today, and
that was a proto globalist establishment media, who, at the
drop of a dime, was willing to protect the NBA,
even though they knew that I had a categorical winning
position in that fight for mental health policy. As you

(30:16):
very well know, when I came in the league, there
was no mental health policy.

Speaker 4 (30:19):
Now there is one.

Speaker 7 (30:20):
In fact, the one they put in place in twenty
sixteen is one that I helped them develop.

Speaker 1 (30:24):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (30:26):
I actually added language to them.

Speaker 7 (30:27):
So I had a huge political victory, but it cost
me a lot of money.

Speaker 1 (30:30):
And you were willing to go out front and fantas
to you. You were willing to go out front center
and bring attention to something that a lot of people
the NBA. I'm not going to accuse them of purposely
ignoring it as if they knew how detrimental it was
and then chose to ignore it. I don't think anybody
at that particular moment in time took mental health as
seriously as you were imploring all of us to do.

(30:53):
So that's definitely we saw Chris bosh Lady, we saw
Kevin Love later, we saw Littany DeMar deroz and stuff
like that. So you definitely deserve a lot of credit
for that. I'm not here to take that from you,
that's for sure.

Speaker 7 (31:03):
Well, and my point is, well, I had some more
behind the scenes conversations with the NBA higher ups, so
I have a different experience with how much they knew
and how much they didn't know fortune And I don't
want to go into the details there, but for example,
what I was fighting for back then was something simple like, Okay,
if we have a banned substance, listen to collective bargaining agreement,
and on the banned substance list you have xanax. It

(31:25):
would behoove the general managers, coaches, players, agents, refs, and
whoever else team trainers to understand or at least have
some sort of, you know, baseline knowledge of why is
xenix so widely prescribed. Why is it so easy for
people to get it on the street, Why is xenix
so addictive? Which ties into mental health and mental health conditions.
The NBA wanted no part of that conversation because it

(31:49):
was going to change the power dynamic politically within the league.
And so what the story became is, well, Royce White
just want He's a prima donnie. He wants special treatment.
He wants to be able to bust from Minneapolis to
Chicago go. And it's funny now I see all these
players sitting out a season and a half with injuries
or load management, and I'm thinking of myself. I would
have never missed one game, busting to a game because

(32:11):
that's just not my mentality. I'm tough as nails. I'm
built kind of Midwest tough.

Speaker 1 (32:16):
That's that's what we knew you to be.

Speaker 7 (32:18):
And I played like that, right, So I got that
grit to me. So I would have never missed a game.
But so that was how the narrative was manipulated. And
I only bring that up to say this was four
years before Donald Trump ever came down the escalator, and
stories like mine laid the groundwork for what would be
an easy movement for a lot of young men like

(32:39):
myself into what Donald Trump created. Right, So people go, well,
why are you, how can you be maga? How are
you Republican? I faced the fake news media firsthand and
it probably cost me more than one hundred million dollars
well before Donald Trump ever added his name to the
political arena.

Speaker 1 (32:56):
So I look, i'd listen to you, and let me
be very very I'm not a Republican. I'm not a
maga Republican, but I don't I don't pride myself on
being the liberal either. And when I saw you in
the past being critical of some of the things that
I said, I wasn't offended by it. It made me listen.
I said, let me, let me, let me think about
what he said, because I know the inclination on the

(33:18):
left is for somebody to be so put off then
all of a sudden, I don't want you around, I
want you cancer, and I don't want to listen to
what you have to say hello all of that. I
think that's one of the problems that exists in this
country in my in my opinion, Royce on both sides,
meaning that I think two extremes where it doesn't encourage
anybody to listen to one another and hopefully compromise. So

(33:39):
when you brought up the fact that when you were
a player, you felt like you couldn't be yourself, like
you couldn't be open, rather about where you stood politically,
et cetera, et cetera, I want you to elaborate from
a political perspective on what it was like for you
as a black man being somebody that leans towards the GOP,

(34:02):
even before MAGA, what that has been like for you
as a black man in America.

Speaker 7 (34:08):
Again, you know Donald Trump. The advent of Donald Trump
and the MAGA movement is the split or the schism
in modern day American politics, global politics, that is two
things on the left or the Democrats and the Liberals.
And I come from a culturally Democrat black community in
Saint Paul, Minnesota, you know, working class, blue collar, so
I'm very familiar with why black people continue to vote

(34:31):
Democrat with the thought process. But the thinking is something like,
is the left is the left? Let's say even the
far left, which some people call it extreme radical, but
let's say the AOC Bernie Sanders wing of the party
Are they a genuine anti establishment economic populist movement or
are they a radical sexual identity politics movement? And so

(34:53):
where even before Donald Trump, where I was critical of
the NBA and saying, hey, this this institution is the
watering hole for global corporate community and their morals and
ethics and standards and their business practice has had implications
downstream from the institution. There were a lot of people
who were traditionally liberal or Democrat that were all in support.

(35:16):
They were fans, They were saying, hey, yeah, we support
this guy. He's saying the right things, he's asking good questions.
But the establishment that controls the media was not going
to let that be the prominent or dominant story. So,
and I bring that up because again, if you fast forward,
what Donald Trump and the MAGA movement really represents is

(35:36):
a rejection of the institutions and the establishments that have
had control of this country for the last seventy years
since World War Two.

Speaker 4 (35:46):
I love when Eric Weinstein.

Speaker 7 (35:47):
Eric Weinstein is the brother of Brett Weinstein, and he's
not a far right wing Republican by any means. He's
like nominally a Democrat. He's I think he was the
co managing director of til Capital, and he's a brilliant mathematician,
and he said it best. He goes, you know, the
democracy that they mentioned for the people, by the people
and of the people is not the democracy they mean

(36:08):
when they talk about it today. What they're talking about
when they say democracy is being threatened are the democratic
institutions that were erected after World War Two and serve
as the load bearing walls for this globalist's vision of
the world. And I was already pushing back on that
in twenty twelve without even realizing it, without being able

(36:29):
to give a name to it. And I didn't understand,
as being on the side with liberals and democrats, why
I was facing such a you know, a difference of
reaction to fighting with the NBA. Later on, I would
really as soon as Donald Trump came down the escalator.
And then later in twenty twenty, when George Floyd died
and I was on the ground, I was in the streets,

(36:51):
I knew exactly what had happened. It clicked for me,
and after that it wasn't even a question of whether
with the Republican Party or not.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
Allow me to interject by saying this, I want to
be very respectful when I ask this question, because I'm
not pointing to you specifically, but I'm pointing to the
MAGA movement per se, and one of the issues that
I have with it this seems to be this fealty,
this undying, unwavering loyalty to Donald Trump. And my attitude

(37:18):
is is that not? And I'm not saying again you
feel that way? You can answer that question yourself. I
wouldn't disrespect you like that, bro, But what I'm saying
is is that it comes across when you listen to
a lot of people talk about MAGA in that regard.
Is that a safe kind of mentality to have? Because
my attitude is, okay, let's say physical you feel that

(37:40):
way to Donald Trump, Let's say it's completely justified. Let's
not even debate that. Right, he's still supposed to be
going to twenty twenty eight. Where does that leave this
country if everybody is feeling that way about him? As
opposed to policy? I would like us to focus more
on policy than people I'm talking about as a nation,

(38:01):
and I don't think we do enough of that to that.

Speaker 7 (38:03):
You say what and I say, one thousand percent agree?
If you listen to my podcast please call me crazy.
Myself and the other co hosts who I have as
a part of the crew. We always talk about policy
and politics in America being more policy driven and idea
driven than they are personality in person driven. However, Donald
Trump just and look, if Donald Trump does something I

(38:25):
don't agree with, I'm the first one to criticize him.
There is no undying loyalty to Donald Trump the person.
What I do have a loyalty too, is his courage
to step up and say things that are inconvenient because
it resonates with me because I did it. That's what
you do, Yes, that's what you though. I just have
to respect that on GP on general principle. But if

(38:45):
he waivers, and if he starts to not be America
first or what I think is maga and actually, you know,
representing the nationalist populist movement that needs to happen in
this country, I'll criticize him. And in fairness to him,
I don't think he's gonna do everything right because who can.
I certainly can. If I was president, I would want
people to say, hey, is he doing a good job overall?

Speaker 4 (39:06):
Because he can't do everything right. That's impossible.

Speaker 7 (39:10):
But but I will say going forward, one of the
main reasons I'm doing this and doing what doing one
in office run of being involved in the political conversation,
and the reason I appreciate you having me on is
I do believe that even in the MAGA movement, even
in the Republican Party or conservative movement, there needs to

(39:32):
be a deeper dive into the intellectual foundation framework of
the ideas that we're calling our platform, because there's a
lot of contradictions in there, and where those contradictions lie
is where I still have to fight with the Republican
Party inside. It's where Donald Trump has to often fight
with the Republican Party inside. So yes, I agree with

(39:53):
you one thousand percent. It needs to be more about
ideas and less about the person. But Donald Trump did.
He did stand up when we needed him to, and
he was touched by God. In my opinion, him not
being assassinated that day three bullets going by his face
can't be anything other than an act of God. If
you deny that, then I don't want to stand next
to you because the bolt the lighting may become I'm

(40:14):
being facetious, but you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
How do you feel Donald Trump has done in this
first one hundred days in office.

Speaker 7 (40:21):
I think he's brought a w reckon ball to what
I was just mentioning, and what it's called is the
post World War two.

Speaker 4 (40:27):
Democrat liberal order.

Speaker 7 (40:29):
And when I realized what it was and what it
intended to do, it became clear to me why the
Democrat Party or the liberal establishment has had such a
stronghold on the media and the narrative and politics in
this country. And by that I also mean George Bush
and the mainstream establishment Republicans.

Speaker 4 (40:51):
He is trying to reorient the entire global.

Speaker 7 (40:57):
The entire global landscape, to have America stand up for
what you would call national identity, and not just identity,
because identity is a fickle thing, but more so citizenship.
You know, it was not a benign phenomenon or or
you know, creation to come up with borders. Many people

(41:19):
think of borders as you know, powerful people dividing land
on the map to be able to conquer and you know,
pillage whatever natural resources or wealth that they can, and
in many cases in history that is the case. But
borders also have a much deeper spiritual meaning that we
have to acknowledge. And that is a man without boundaries.

(41:40):
A man without limits is a man who believes that
he's God.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
And yeah, okay, I don't disagree, but let me let
me push back on you with this. Okay, you'll get
no argument from me about the job he's done at
the border. There was no excuse for us to have
open borders in this nation.

Speaker 4 (41:56):
Plit? Wait, wait, which part don't you agree? Let me
I want to try.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
I want to No, no, no, no, I'm not saying a part
that you said that I disagree with. I'm talking about
pushing back in terms of some of the some of
the things that I wanted to bring.

Speaker 4 (42:04):
Up about hesitating about him, not you.

Speaker 1 (42:07):
I have no problem with him on immigration. I think
he's done an outstanding job on immigration. I think it
was necessary. Do I think it's a bit extreme sometimes
when you're taking somebody, if it's a student protesting, then
you're deporting him and what have you. In the courts
are telling you, no, don't do it. I got a
problem with that because I'm care. I'm concerned that you
can ignore the courts and you can act of your

(42:30):
own accord, because that's not what this nation of laws
is built on.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
In my estimation.

Speaker 1 (42:34):
However, I'm looking at the economy. I don't know. I mean,
he's saying it's doing better. That's not what I'm hearing.
I'm looking at the tariffs. I have no problem with
him going after China, but you're going after allies too,
at least initially, and you had the allies, you know,
cole mingling and talking with China because they were thinking
they were gonna be allies with China. Now because they
would turn it against you, I'm worried about that. I'm

(42:55):
thinking about DEI and I'm like, I don't like a
Royce Ooh you with me on this one. Diversity, equity
and inclusion. Here's the argument that I have made. Didn't
earn it, That's what DEI stands for for me. Didn't
earn it, right, And I'm like, why does DEI automatically
have to be associated with merit? Who's to say some

(43:18):
of those people didn't have the merit warranting them to
get hired. As a black man in America, I'm quite
sure you've seen, as I have seen, plenty of qualified
black folks that weren't getting.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
Opportunities because of the white establishment.

Speaker 1 (43:30):
But they seem to be ignoring that right now to
all of that floors yours.

Speaker 7 (43:35):
Yeah, okay, well let me take it piece by piece. Well,
start from the end and work my way back.

Speaker 1 (43:41):
No problem.

Speaker 7 (43:42):
Number one, you will never hear me pander to this
right wing narrative that racism in this country doesn't exist.

Speaker 4 (43:50):
That's ridiculous, it's absurd.

Speaker 7 (43:51):
It's something that is cheap kind of WWE politics. It's
what they serve you on Fox News and seeing. And
that's the that's the conventional and proverbial battle of political
clash in America. Is it racist or is it not?
There's racism in America, There's no doubt about it. There's
been racism in the past. The question is what is

(44:12):
the answer, what's the solution? And I do believe that
there are people who may have benevited from DEI programs
or let's say, affirmative action to take it back to
something that has real teeth, who did have the merit
and got in with those programs. The question becomes, and
this is what really opened my eyes when George Floyd died.

(44:33):
I was as appalled and shocked as anybody. And now
I do think that Derek Chalvin's prosecution was political. Okay,
they prosecuted him because they wanted the riots to stop
in the streets. They didn't want to have to have
any more conversations or riots or right, so that the
prosecution was political. But I'm always i am not quote

(44:56):
unquote loyal to a thin blue line in police backing
at any and all or any in all circumstance.

Speaker 4 (45:01):
Not my deal.

Speaker 7 (45:03):
My deal is something more biblical, like when Paul said
to the centurion guard, I'm a Roman citizen. Do you
have the right to bind? And be a Roman citizen
who has not yet seen court? And I think Donald
Trump in the MAGA movement is now more privy to
the dangers of a police state, in a security state,
and letting the courts have more power, or let's say,

(45:25):
the justice system, for lack of a better be more
all encompassing, the justice system to have more power than
they're supposed to. And so we're still working out that. Gordian. Now,
now to back up to what you said about the
border and the immigrants, here's the thing. The courts have

(45:47):
long been politicized. They've long been politically weaponized. And we
got into that when we started letting presidents who are
party loyal appoint judges, And it happened on both sides,
and there started to be this game of who has
the political power in.

Speaker 4 (46:02):
The judiciary with judge appointments.

Speaker 7 (46:05):
I'll say this, when a country is in the place
that our country was at, it is very difficult for
me to continue to believe in the rule of law,
even though my Republican counterparts have such a dying loyalty
to the concept.

Speaker 4 (46:20):
They all say, rule of law, rule of law. Democracy.

Speaker 7 (46:22):
Listen, your rule of law is only as good as
the lawmakers who uphold it. Akers. If your lawmakers aren't righteous,
then there is no rule of law. And what we
saw the Democrat establishment that also include some very rhino
we call them or rats, I call them Republicans against Trump,
Republicans that have more loyalty to the liberal order than

(46:43):
they do to the Republican ideas or the Republican party.
We have seen some very dangerous things happen in this
country in the legal system.

Speaker 4 (46:50):
The banished prosecution was one of them.

Speaker 7 (46:53):
Obviously we don't have to go into detail, but Merrick
Garland and Eric Holder and all these guys also denied
being subpreene. They didn't speaking before the Congress, and they
didn't serve a day in jail.

Speaker 4 (47:03):
They give Steve Bannon four months.

Speaker 7 (47:05):
Why because he's powerful, because he speaks the truth, and
because he represents a change of the brand of the
Republican Party that neither the Republican Party or Democrat Party
want to see. So I have to support Donald Trump
in some sort and in some instance and playing hardball
and smash mouth with the courts and saying, wait a minute,
we're not going to play this game and pretend like

(47:27):
the courts are level and guess what. As a black man,
and for many young black men who are leaning towards
the Republican Party and Donald Trump, we know the courts
to be unjust.

Speaker 4 (47:37):
We just didn't understand the depths of it.

Speaker 7 (47:40):
We didn't realize it could happen to the white Republicans
who we have as boogeymen in our heads. And that's
why when Donald Trump was arraigned and they booked him,
it was a brilliant move by him. As soon as
they booked him, there were blacks and Hispanics and Asians
and all kinds of minorities across this country that said, damn, damn,
that corrupt system. When George Floyd died, they chanted the

(48:00):
whole system is guilty.

Speaker 4 (48:01):
Damn, that system is really guilty.

Speaker 7 (48:04):
And guess what now some white folks are starting to
feel it too, And praise be to God for that,
because now we're starting to cross the rubicon where we
see the real danger and threat to freedom.

Speaker 1 (48:14):
Getting back to George Floyd, and I know you keep
bringing up Steve Banning and how and how he was
wrong and how you know how you feel about him,
I have to confess to you, I'm not comfortable with
a lot of things that Steve Benning said. But that brother,
that man is smart as hell. He knows what he's
talking about. And you better bring the rain information wise,
if you're gonna deal with him, because I say this,

(48:37):
he means what he says, all right, and he has
information to back it up. So he I had to
go back and watch a show like two or three
times and listen to everyone. I'm like, damn trying. I
gotta watch this guy right here because he's not a
joke and he's not playing around. But I'll get back
to you, Royce. With George Floyd because when he was
killed by police officer Derek Chauvin. You led what you

(48:59):
called a peaceful protest, but said the mainstream media misrepresented
those efforts. How did they do that?

Speaker 7 (49:07):
I mean, this is a very important node in my
own journey, both as a young man in general, but
certainly politically. You gotta remember I fought against the NBA,
I got black ball. Later on, I would go to
live in Canada for two years and play in Canada.
This was twenty fifteen, sixteen and seventeen. I was living
in London, Ontario, and it was around the time that

(49:27):
Jordan Peterson encountered his troubles with the government there around
Bill C sixteen, which was an argument about gender identity
in legislation essentially, And I remember watching Look. I grew
up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's one of the more day
communities in the country. My mom was an esthetician my
whole life. She worked to pay bills, our rent with

(49:48):
her tips. Okay, So I grew up in the hair
salon and in the spa world and in the beauty business.
And I knew and grew up knowing gay men. And
it was very different back in the nineties than it
is today. I'll say that I wasn't unfamiliar with the
gay community. Also, playing basketball, you meet a lot of
female basketball players who are lesbian, and that's fine, that's

(50:09):
their choice. All good point I'm making is I wasn't
familiar with this transgender pronoun thing. And I was in Canada,
and I remember watching the news like, man, this guy
Jordan Peterson sounds logical, saying reasonable, actually really smart, to
be honest, and I don't understand why they're attacking them.
But I was playing basketball and we won two national
championships in Canada back to back. So you know how

(50:31):
you watch things, you know kind of but it's in passive, Okay.
I come back to the States in twenty eighteen nineteen,
I joined the Big Three, and I'm talking about all
these political issues in the Big Three, Edward Snowden and
Julian Assange and the Federal Reserve and so on and
so forth. And the Wigers, okay, the Wigers in China,

(50:51):
their persecution, and so when twenty twenty hit and George
Floyd died, I was like, I know what's gonna happen here.

Speaker 4 (51:00):
This is gonna be one of the biggest I could
just feel it.

Speaker 7 (51:03):
This is gonna be one of the biggest things in
American history, and it's right here in my backyard where
I grew up. I mean thirty six, thirty eighth in Chicago,
on the south side of Minneapolis. I used to run
the streets and play at the parks, and you know,
my whole life.

Speaker 4 (51:15):
So it's home home.

Speaker 7 (51:18):
So I went to the front line because there were
all of these people organizing these protests who I didn't
know from being from the city. I didn't know them
from any wakes. I didn't know them from any weddings.
I didn't know them from any barbecues. I didn't know
them from any of the grade schools or the after
school programs or the basketball team. I didn't know them,
and so it was odd to me. And then when
I researched it, I realized a lot of these community

(51:41):
activists were imports from colleges, you know, in California or
somewhere else that were given a position by politicians who
had been elected. Okay, so I'm out on the streets
and I'm saying, listen, we're gonna go to the front
door of.

Speaker 4 (51:56):
The Federal Reserve.

Speaker 7 (51:57):
You all believed that the problem in this country is policing.
The problem is not policing. The problem is how the
money works. And if we want to talk about follow
the money or the whole system being guilty, I can
show you.

Speaker 4 (52:09):
Just how guilty it is.

Speaker 7 (52:10):
The Federal Reserve is the epitome of corruption in America,
and it has a downstream effect on every working class citizen,
including Black's, Latinos and everybody else up and down in between.
So when I did that, naturally people were excited to
see me leading. They're like, oh shit, Royce White's out here,

(52:33):
and look at there's ten thousand people with him.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
How did he do that?

Speaker 7 (52:37):
And they even wrote stories about me in Washington Posts
and whatnot, and they were like, hey, there's a rising
young activist. When I was out there, I heard something
that just blew my mind. Black trans Lives Matter. I
didn't even know what trans meant at the time, to
be honest, even they I had no clue, and I
didn't push back on it right away because I didn't

(52:58):
know what it meant to push back. But when they
explained to me that I needed to organize these demonstrations
and who spoke at these demonstrations based on people's sexual
identity and sexual preference, boom me and the local community
activists in Minnesota were at odds, and I didn't back
down because you know, there's no back down in me, right,

(53:20):
And I said, that's the story. So when George Floyd died,
I led these protests, and the local activists who had
already been here as an extension of BLM, they didn't
want to, you know, have anything to do with me
because I wasn't pro LGBTQ pronoun. And so there was
another instance where the bubbling up of the black men
in this country who have come to reject the lunacy

(53:43):
on the far left happened right there at twenty twenty
in the streets of Minneapolis, and the mainstream media never
covered it that way. They don't want you to know
that a young black man who didn't graduate college, came
from a single mother household in a blue collar community
can tell you how global finance works.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
As a member of the media for decades, I can't
even disagree with you. There is no doubt that there
was stuff that folks did not want to discuss. I
was covering sports, so it was different for me. But
I'm just saying there was no doubt that you're absolutely
right that there was so much stuff being comfortable, and

(54:20):
I got to get a little bit uncomfortable with you
for a second here. During the twenty twenty four campaign,
you raised controversy with what they labeled as anti Semitic remarks.
I don't know what you said. I didn't know anything
about that, civil judgments for unpaid child supporting, a finance
report that showed more than one million of donor money
went to credit card fees, which was nearly seventy percent

(54:41):
of your one point forty three million in operating expenses.
First of all, is that stuff true? If it's false,
say so. And number two, to Minnesotans out there who
would use that information obviously emanating from the left about
you to decide how they're going to vote, why should
they vote for you at this moment in time?

Speaker 7 (55:04):
Well, number one, I hope I get a little bit
of time to explain the three of those early, because
they're very important. Please, But I will, I will say
that it's not the left, it's not emanating from the left.
Those stories, those lives of rumors are emanating from the establishment.

Speaker 4 (55:19):
GOP.

Speaker 7 (55:19):
Who's more afraid of a young black man talking about
the Federal Reserve than they are in AOC or il
han Omar. In fact, a lot of the establishment GOP
loves ilhan Omar because they raise a lot of money
off of her. They're more afraid of me being in
office than they are keeping ilhan Omar in and they're
afraid of me saying that they're afraid of me being
on your show and saying it to your audience, because
this is this is the real politic of America.

Speaker 4 (55:39):
Okay, okay, let me go back. Number one.

Speaker 7 (55:44):
You asked me about the the the.

Speaker 4 (55:48):
Credit card processing.

Speaker 7 (55:51):
That's from this campaign, not to twenty twenty four, King,
and that's from twenty twenty six. And how that works
in short, is the establishment Republicans like Tom Emmer or
Mitch McConnell or used to be Kevin McCarthy now probably
Mike Johnson and many of the others who have a
lot of power there in DC. When you go to
run and you run under a certain political party affiliation,

(56:12):
they have access to the Republican party donor data, and
they are usually unwilling to give that data, give open
access to that data to candidates who they think are
a threat to their established power base. That would be me,
Me and Tom Emmer. We don't get along. We're adversaries.
We're both Republicans, but we don't like each other. And
I don't make any qualms about it. I think he's

(56:33):
a globalist, just like Hakim Jeffries. And that's why if
you go to APAX landing page, I'll get to your
anti Semitic question in a moment.

Speaker 4 (56:40):
If you go to APAX landing page.

Speaker 7 (56:42):
You'll find there are six politicians represented on that landing page.
Mike Johnson, Scalise, Tom Emmer, Hakm Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Aguilar.
There's no better example of what we call the uniparty
than those six politicians. One of them happens to be here.
So they don't give you access to those lists. So

(57:03):
we as candidate to are kind of role, kind of
you know, out there in the wilderness on our own,
have to do third party deals with bundlers. And these
bundlers charge a high commission. Now they charge a high
commission on the first donation. So let's say Stephen A.
Smith supports Royce White. You get an email from these bundlers,
you send me one hundred dollars. They'll take eighty five

(57:24):
the first time now your name is on my list.
When I send you the next email, I get one
hundred percent or ninety five percent of the of the donation. Okay,
So the credit card processing fees are because on first pass,
I was able to raise that much money with the
people we came into contact with, but they took a
big piece of it.

Speaker 4 (57:44):
Okay.

Speaker 7 (57:45):
Now to go back to your question about anti Semitism,
because I think it might be the most important one.
When I announced my campaign in twenty twenty two, I
did it in front of the Federal Reserve. I was
trying to run against Ilhan Omar for CD five Congressional
District five, basically Greater Minneapolis, and that's actually where the
FED is located, downtown Minneapolis on Hinnepen. So when I

(58:07):
announced my campaign, my run for Congress, I did it
in from the FED. And the Star Tribune, which is
the local newspaper record here in Minneapolis, asked me about globalism,
and you can go look this up for anybody who
wants to fact check me.

Speaker 4 (58:23):
The articles still up.

Speaker 7 (58:24):
They asked me what I meant by globalism, and I said,
it's an economic attack on the nation state and its citizens,
mostly the working class. They wrote that globalism to even
say globalism is a dog whistle for anti Semitism.

Speaker 4 (58:39):
And that just blew my I mean it just it
blew my mind.

Speaker 7 (58:42):
And it's something that's carried on alongside of me because
the Republican Party has this strange obsession with Israel in
which they are unable to see the very obvious contradiction
in how they talk about all other issues except this one.

Speaker 4 (59:01):
And I just won't do that with him. Now.

Speaker 7 (59:03):
Do I recognize the biblical significant of Israel?

Speaker 4 (59:06):
Absolutely? Do I have Jewish friends. Yes.

Speaker 7 (59:09):
One of my business partners and my co hosts on
Police Call Me Crazy sometimes is David Penn. Professor Penny
has a great podcast too. He's a Ukrainian Jew. He's
like family to me. So I have a bunch of
people in my life who are Jewish who are like
family to me. Really, so I'm not anti Semitic at all.
But it is an example of how they and I
don't mean they as in the liberal left media. They'll

(59:30):
piggyback off of it. But that was more intended to
disenfranchise me to the Republican evangelical voter out there who
hears anything anti Semitic and they automatically turn the channel.

Speaker 1 (59:44):
So essentially because I got to get ready to get
on out of here. But that's the bad news. The
good news is that, my brother, this will not be
the last time you will be on this show. I
don't play that mess. I'm fair minded. What I don't understand,
don't I don't understand. I'm open about it, I admit it,
and I'm open to learning from both sides of the aisle.
That's me. And by the way, ain't nobody gonna silence

(01:00:05):
your voice on this show. Everything you said is gonna go,
is gonna be over the airways, trust me on that.

Speaker 4 (01:00:10):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
Let me end this by asking you this question though
you just talked about the GOP establishment essentially and to
some degree that's against you. You know how to left
would feel about you, because you're in the opposite aisle
all right, where you consider the climate that we're living in.
How are you gonna get it done? How are you

(01:00:31):
gonna win this election in Minnesota?

Speaker 7 (01:00:34):
Well, brother, I appreciate you having me on, and I'll
come back on anytime.

Speaker 4 (01:00:37):
I love what you're doing.

Speaker 7 (01:00:39):
I love that you're starting to have, uh, you know,
descending voices on the on the platform and show. I
can't tell you how important it is, and I can't
tell you how grateful I really am, because it's not
about me. It's about the entire conversation being opened up
to some things that people need to hear.

Speaker 4 (01:00:54):
Uh. And this is probably most important Russe.

Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
I never had this platform before when I was doing sports.
You know, if you look at the diversity that comes
on ESPN, I got a lot to do with that.
I have this platform that I own and operate and
I'm getting in the politics. I never had to do
it before. So this I've always been this guy. I've
always been one of the listen to both sides.

Speaker 7 (01:01:14):
And I appreciate it great. And look, this GOP thing
is probably the most important. The mainstream media for so
long has created a WWE politics narrative where you have
Republicans and Democrats and they hate each other. They fight
mostly the uniparty of Republicans and Democrats who protect the
post World War two Democrat liberal order, or what they

(01:01:36):
call the international rules based order, work together behind the
scenes to create legislation that destroyed the value of American citizenship.
I stand against that uniparty, and so what the GOP
has functioned as is a.

Speaker 4 (01:01:52):
And Donald Trump has changed this. He took it over.

Speaker 7 (01:01:54):
He punched them in the gut and now they have
to eat kro and bend the knee. And I kind
of enjoy watching it because they all tried to take
him out.

Speaker 4 (01:02:01):
And this was Christy and Romney and Cheney.

Speaker 7 (01:02:04):
I mean, how did the Democrats ever cide with Dick Cheney,
the guys that convicted he should be a convicted war
criminal and he's definitely a warmonger. But anyway, the point
is that what they functioned as is a vanguard to
keep minorities out of the Republican Party. They are the

(01:02:26):
outer bastion of New World Order, the Minnesota GOP. This
is what they tell you. We got to get new voters,
We got to get new Republicans. But they don't want
to go down into the Twin cities. And then they'll say, well,
Royce has too many Twin Cities roots, we can't trust
that he's actually Republican. And then the white rural Republicans
who are Christian or whatever else the case may be, libertarian, whatever,

(01:02:48):
when they try and come into the party after being
motivated by Donald Trump's movement, they try and keep them out.
So what are they actually function as? They are functioning
as the controlled opposition intended to make sure black people,
young black men specifically, never find their way into the

(01:03:10):
party they should have rightfully always been in and had
a very very important influence in. And guess what, I'm
not here to fight that battle with the entirety of
American politics. All I can do in Minnesota and on
your show and anywhere else, tell people the truth, give
you the facts, the history post World War two Democrat
liberal order. This was the restructuring of the global finance system,

(01:03:33):
Brententwood's conference, the World Bank, the dollar, and all of
the other stuff in between, mostly predicated on national security
and foreign policy.

Speaker 4 (01:03:45):
And this was when you said allies early. I don't
want to go back to that. We'll talk about another time.

Speaker 7 (01:03:48):
But when you said our allies, I'm not so sure
there are our allies.

Speaker 4 (01:03:51):
Okay.

Speaker 7 (01:03:52):
The European Union has to decide the fate of the
European Union, and it can't be on the backs of
the American working class, because the Europeans have a working
class that need to pay up as well. So that's
what we're fighting against. That's what I'm fighting against. I
appreciate the time. I don't know if I can win
in Minnesota, but I'm thirty four years old.

Speaker 4 (01:04:11):
I started early for a reason.

Speaker 7 (01:04:12):
I'm gonna keep going until my heart stops beating and
I tell the truth and guess what.

Speaker 4 (01:04:16):
The people get to decide.

Speaker 7 (01:04:17):
If you want to vote for another Amy Klobashar, then
I tell people, hey, you get the government you deserve.

Speaker 4 (01:04:24):
I guarantee you this.

Speaker 7 (01:04:25):
I would represent people in a much more honest way
than maybe any politician that I could.

Speaker 4 (01:04:29):
That I can name, I can respect that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:32):
I have to listen to that. I can't ignore that
last question, very last question. I need a quick answer here, Royce.
I'm gonna put you on a spot. There is no
MAGA movement, there is no Donald Trump. Which side would
you fall on? Considering what you said about the left
and what you said about the GOP. If there were
no Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, MAGA movement, which side would

(01:04:55):
you would you favor?

Speaker 4 (01:04:57):
I mean, I'm so close to Steve Banning is hard
for me to say that.

Speaker 5 (01:05:00):
No.

Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
No, I'm saying if I say, if you take I say,
if you take him away, take him out of the mix,
take Trump out of the mix, take MAGA out of
the mix. It's just a conventional GOP that you decried
and the left who you rolling with.

Speaker 7 (01:05:12):
Well, without Donald Trump, I'd have to say I'd run independent,
or I would have tried to fight my way up
to the top of the Democrat Party and been smacked
down the way I think you may run into actually
the fact that you run on the Democratic side. But
I'd have to say independent, And I probably would have
had a very tough time winning as an independent in
any office all across the country because the party or

(01:05:34):
the independent just doesn't have that that political power and
machine and sort of tribal tribal ins to it. So,
but without a Donald Trump, the Republican Party is the
Republican Party of George Bush. And there is no greater
threat to freedom and American stability than the neo Khan
war mongering of the George Bush types and the Republican Party.

Speaker 4 (01:05:54):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:05:55):
Royce White, candidate for Senator for the state of Minnesota. Man,
let's I didn't expect this kind of conversation. I wanted
to introduce you to my audience as a potential senator
in twenty twenty six. I can't tell you how much
I enjoy talking to you. We'll get in and what
you've been critical about me with next time it all
when we got more time. But I'm all good with you.

(01:06:17):
I mean, I think that what you're saying is you've
given us a lot of food for thought, man, and
I sincerely thank you for that. And this will not
be the last time I will have you on because
I think America needs to hear more of what you
have to say, especially before the election, as we look
forward to picking our politicians, electing them, holding them accountable, etc.
We need to hear from people like you more. So

(01:06:39):
you always have a home on this show. My brother.
Thank you so much for being on the show, and
I talked you soon.

Speaker 4 (01:06:45):
Thank you, brother, God speed to you. Appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:47):
Talk to you soon well.

Speaker 1 (01:06:48):
Only Royce White right here with Steven nick Smith coming up.
The President of the United States of America himself told
me in a national television audience he would love to
see me run in twenty twenty eight. But first, the
biggest boxing weekend in recent memory begins tonight in tom Square.
At least five five big time fighters in the ring

(01:07:11):
this weekend, and I want to talk about them. That's
next right here on the Stephen Nate Smith Show. Welcome back
to Steven Nay Smiths Show. Now let's talk about some
boxing on Cinco de Mayo weekend that features five big
fights in three unique locations. The first location will be
in a ring that will be set up in Time

(01:07:31):
Square in New York City, right in the heart of
Time Square. That's where Ryan Garcia will face Rolando Roley Romero,
Devin Haney will take on Jose Ramirez, and Tiafimo Lopez
will square off with Arnold Barboza Junior in a super
lightweight title bout. That's all happening tonight and if Hany
and Garcia both win their bouts, they're expected to have

(01:07:53):
a rematch next Then on Saturday, Canelo Alvarez will try
to unify all four major super middle world titles when
he takes on IBF champion Williams Skull in Riaje, Saudi Arabia.
That's the biggest fight of the week and is Japanese
star the Monster themself. Nail Ye and No Ua and
a real fight on USO are defending his undisputed junior

(01:08:17):
featherweight championship against Ramon CoA Dennis. This man is universally
considered the top three to five pound four found fighter
on the planet, and it is fighting in the United
States for only the fourth time and first time since
twenty twenty one. And know u A is no joke.

Speaker 2 (01:08:31):
He's that big time.

Speaker 1 (01:08:33):
I love the fact that they're doing something different in boxing,
like having to fight in toime square.

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
I love the fact that Ta Femo Lopez.

Speaker 1 (01:08:40):
Is on a card. I'm not that excited about Haini
and Brian Garcia ultimately meeting one another again because, let
me be very very clear where I stand on Hani.
We saw him get beat up by Ryan Garcia. That's
not my issue. Obviously. Ryan Garcia is fighting for the
first time. He got suspended for a while. You know

(01:09:03):
they were saying he was using the wrong substances or
whatever it is. Here's the deal. We saw you lose,
and what Devin Haney needs to understand is that your
marketability was hurt big time. And I'm not gonna lie
to you. I blame I blame him, but mostly I
blame his father for allowing it to happen. At the

(01:09:24):
time Devin Haney lost to Ryan Garcia, he was thirty
and oh he was undefeated. He was the champion. Okay,
he had just defeated Cambosis, Okay, he was the champion.
Ryan Garcia wants to resurrect himself after losing to Javonte Davis.
What the hell are you betting him a half a
million dollars for every pound he's overweight? Being overweight made

(01:09:48):
him that much bigger and stronger come fight night. Then
why would you agree to that? Why would you co
sign that? Why would you bet him on that? So,
to me, the one blemish on Devin Haney's record he
brought on himself because you should have never allowed Ryan
Garcia to enter the ring overweight, meaning beyond the weight limit.
You're the champion, he meets the criteria or he doesn't

(01:10:11):
fight you, period. That's what Javonte Davis made him do.
But you didn't do that, Devion Nighty, and that's why
you have that one blemish on your record. And so
now I guess if you meet Ryan Garcia, if both
of y'all win, y'all respect the fights tonight and there's
a rematch down the line, Yeah, we'll watch it because
it's a compelling, interesting fight. But anything outside of a

(01:10:33):
spectacular knockout. No one's gonna really want to hear anything
because you shouldn't have let him fight you to begin with.
As for Canilo Alvarez, William Skull, really williams Skull, I mean,
no disrespect. Well, even the damn names sounds boring. Your

(01:10:55):
Canilo Alvarez is Cenko Demayo. Yeah, your Mexican contingent is
gonna follow you anywhere you go. I get it.

Speaker 2 (01:11:02):
But when you're gonna fight David Benavidez, I think.

Speaker 1 (01:11:06):
That if Terrence Crawford fought Canilo Alvarez, I think that
he could outbox Canilo Alvarez. I think because he could
outbox Canelo Alvarez, he could likely win by decision. But
I can't see him hurting Canilo Alvarez. I can't see
that happening. And I'm looking at Skull's record there obviously

(01:11:29):
that's one of the reasons he's fighting a skull. Canelos
fighting Skull, He's only got nine knockouts. I mean, come on,
David Benavidez is the Mexican monster, coined that name by
the great Mike Tyson. The man is undefeated, The man
is a super lightweight champion. Now he's just thrown on

(01:11:51):
everybody at the light heavyweight division. It shouldn't come to that.
David Benavidez should be in the ring with Canilo Alvarez
at some point in time. When are the people, When
is the Latino community going to demand that Canillo fight

(01:12:12):
David Benevetez. Number one is a fight we all want
to see. And number two to my Latino brothers and
sisters out there. Last time I checked, David benavite is
of Latin ancestry himself. Why don't y'all look out for

(01:12:33):
that brother? Let him get his shot at the crown.
Why is Canillo Alvarez, who I love, by the way,
but I don't like what he's doing to David Benavitez.
You can't continue to ignore this guy. This is the
fight we want to see. The only reason why David
Benavitez is up at light heavyweight is because Canillo won't
fight him. Some gotta be said. I can't believe that

(01:13:02):
the Hispanic community hasn't called Canilo out for not fighting Benavidez.
This is the fight we want. The boxing world wants
that fight, and David Benavitez has earned it. Ladies, gentlemen.
He's a knockout artist and he's undefeated at the same

(01:13:23):
weight class that Canilo Alvarez is defending his belts tonight,
and he's been begging Canelo Alvarez to fighting for years.
What y'all gonna do about that? I'm talking to my
brothers and sisters in the Hispanic community. What y'all gonna
do about that? Yeah, Canilo is your brother, so is
David Benavidez.

Speaker 5 (01:13:45):
What's up?

Speaker 1 (01:13:48):
That's all I'm saying. That's fight you want to see.
I'm not gonna get to your tweets today because I'm
not interested because they got something else on my mind.
I want to address and disregarding the President of the
United States of America is a recent endorsement I received

(01:14:10):
earlier this week. For those of you who didn't see it,
it was this past Wednesday night on News Nation on
Chris Cuomo show. Cuomo on News Nation, myself, Chris Cuomo,
Bill O'Reilly. It's a town hall, and the President was
kind enough to call in courtesy of Bill O'Reilly. By
the way, he deserves credit for that, and Bill O'Reilly,

(01:14:34):
being his instigate and self, brought my name up as
a presidential helpful. I did not ask him to do that.
I did not want him to do that, and I
certainly didn't care to have any kind of endorsements from anybody.
But listened to the exchange between the President of the
United States in yours truly.

Speaker 4 (01:14:51):
Stephen A.

Speaker 7 (01:14:51):
Smith may run for president, as you know, Do you
have any advice for Stephen A.

Speaker 1 (01:14:59):
If he arch is the run? No, Stephen's He's a
good guy.

Speaker 5 (01:15:05):
He's a smart guy.

Speaker 1 (01:15:06):
I love watching him. He's got great entertainment skills, which
is very important.

Speaker 5 (01:15:11):
People watch him.

Speaker 1 (01:15:12):
You know, a lot of these democrats I watch, I
say they have no chance. I've been pretty good at
picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you
I'd love to see him run. All right, there you go.
Oh God, that is the lad. Oh my lord. I mean,
I can't start every where. I bet everybody's been asking.

Speaker 4 (01:15:30):
Me about it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:32):
But obviously, regardless of how some of you feel about him,
he's still the President of the United States. And if
the president of the United States system then says something
like that, it counts for something. I mean what I say,
and I just want to I just want to reiterate
the points that I'm making, and I hope y'all can
understand where I'm coming from. I kept the door open

(01:15:55):
for a potential run because elected officials and my own
pastor said, you don't know what God has planned for you.
You don't know what life's going to be like two
years down the road. At least show respect and courtesy
to the people who love and support you in such
a venture by saying you'll leave the door open to

(01:16:16):
any possibilities two years down the road, because you just
don't know. And that's why I said I'll leave the
door open. But I have never been a politician. I
have never been interested in being a politician. No disrespect
to any individuals. I just considered the industry that is
of politics, where folks are professional beggars who perpetually own

(01:16:39):
own favors. And that's not how I roll. Not only
that you see politicians clamoring for donations, you know, and
having fundraising advance and all of this other stuff. I
don't need to do that. I got a job. I'm
earning more money than most of them will earn in
a lifetime. So my attitude wud be why would I

(01:17:02):
walk away from the life that I've built for myself
that doesn't have merely the amount of stress that comes
with such an occupation like that, to voluntarily put myself
into that cesspool, because that's exactly what I consider it
to be. Okay, So not only that, let me put
myself on front street. I'm tired of people talking about

(01:17:24):
me like I'm somebody walking around, like I'm some officient
out or politics. I am not. I am a concerned,
conscientious American citizen who pays attention to and cares about
the issues, fully aware that I don't know everything. One
side puts one spin on it, another side puts another
spin on it, and you're trying to deduce what's factual,

(01:17:46):
what's nonfactual. You're trying to decipher the spin and what
the objectives and the agendas are behind them. So I'm
very very careful. Here's why aspiration and I want my team,
not just you out there, to listen to what I'm
about to say, because I'm very very serious about this.

(01:18:08):
If there was a position that I clamor for more
than anything in the world, it's the position that Joe
Rogan was in leading up to the election. Kamala Harris
should have.

Speaker 2 (01:18:19):
Gone to visit him.

Speaker 1 (01:18:21):
Donald Trump did, and there's a lot of people who
have speculated that that is a huge reason why Donald
Trump won the election. I don't know whether that's true
or not, but what I desire people talking about me
having that kind of impact.

Speaker 2 (01:18:39):
You damn right, I would.

Speaker 1 (01:18:42):
It is my hope that everybody in Capitol Hill knows
that I wanted the people they have to come through
en route to their aspirations for higher office, because I
got news for you.

Speaker 2 (01:18:54):
I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna stay in.

Speaker 1 (01:18:56):
Their ass every chance I get it, because I'm sick
of what they've done to the American people. When they
say we are as divided more than ever before. I
blame Capitol Hill. You engage in division and dissension in
order to buffer yourself. You got this two party system,

(01:19:19):
and we got to pick all right, which is the
worst devil one side or the other. If you notice
everything that I've been doing, Yes, I've had conservatives on,
but I've had liberals too, and I'm gonna continue to
have both on. Why Because I don't want the fringes
on the left with the extreme leftist the progressives, nor

(01:19:42):
do I want the Maga Wright pulling us and tilting
us dramatically to one side or another. I'm a moderate,
I'm a centrist. Why what does that mean. Does that
mean I'm devoid of principle?

Speaker 7 (01:19:53):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:19:53):
Does that mean I'm devoid of having a position. No,
it means that I'm open minded enough to understand why
somebody else's position would be different. And even if I
don't agree with them, it doesn't make them a racist,
it doesn't make them a no good person, it doesn't
make them the devil incarnate. Where you got people like
Elizabeth Warren treating you like you are going to hell
if you don't agree with her. I don't like that.

(01:20:16):
I think it lets politicians off the hook because they
get to get away when not doing their job, which
is to go on Capitol Hill and in the face
of adversity every single damn day. You gotta work across
the aisle and within your own party to negotiate, compromise
and get things done on behalf of the American people,
with the understanding that no one gets everything they want,

(01:20:41):
but we gonna do what'sn't the best interests of America.
That's me, That's all I want, because I believe it
will lead to less division in the streets of America,
which will be us being more at peace. P ain't

(01:21:02):
y'all disturbed? And I'm not blaming Obama for this, but
I'm using this as an example. We heard how the
left talked about Trump leading up to the election. We've
seen some of the things that Obama has said about Trump.
We've seen some of the things Trump is said about Obama.
How is it that they consider somebody's funerals sitting right

(01:21:24):
next to each other, joking around, having a good old time.
But we out in the streets ready to butt heads
with one another over odd differences. But the politicians that
highlight and dare I say, causes some of that division
get to get along with one another. Don't y'all find
that a bit odd? I know I do. So that's
all I want to say about that. And oh, by

(01:21:46):
the way, I kind of told y'all I knew Trump
a little bit, right. You see the first words that
came out as mouth, Hello, Steven. It's been a long
time because we used to talk on and off throughout
the years to him running for president. When I went
to watch a boxing match, where did you think I
went to? I went to Atlantic City at Trump's at

(01:22:06):
Trump's establishments, we would see him at basketball games or
football games because Trump was an avid sports fan. I
told you he knew me, and I know him. I
appreciated him being on the air. I appreciated him being
coind and respectful to me. It ain't gonna stop me
from disagreeing with him. But civility is not a crime.

(01:22:34):
It should actually be something that's aspired for and desired.
That's it for this edition of The Stephen Aate Smith Show.
I got to get on out of here. I got
work to do, NBA Countdown and all of that other stuff.
I will be back at the start of next week Monday.
So until then, everybody, I'm signing off peace and love,
be safe, God bless