May 13, 2025 • 8 mins
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
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Now let's get to Washington.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
In an early look at the race for the White
House in twenty twenty eight, according to the Wall Street Journal,
sources close to AOC say she isn't ruling out the
possibility of a president to run. The Democrats suffered major
losses in the November election, as everybody in their grandmama knows,
and the party is frankly struggling to find a strategy
to take on President Trump and his policies. AOC, who
(00:24):
is thirty five years of age, has emerged as a
leading voice for Democrats, but some within the party are
concerned she'll turn off centrist voters who are needed in
the swing states that Trump swept in November. For the record,
they are absolutely right, she will turn off centrist I
am not casting any aspersions on this young lady. I
(00:47):
think that if you are a Democrat, if you are
a leftist who rails against the system, who believes that
free market capitalism spearheaded by billionaires is not the way
to go, if you believe that not enough attention is
being paid attention to the desolate and disenfranchised, if you
(01:10):
believe that higher taxes is the way to go, that
a focus shouldn't be on securing the borders.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
If you believe those kind.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Of things, and that's where you stand ideologically, AOC is
your candidate, no doubt about that. Here's what I will
say to you. I have no questions about her heart
and the place that it is in. I think that
anyone that she represents knows that she's a fighter. She's
(01:44):
a fighter for them poverished. She's a fighter for urban America.
She's a fighter for union workers and things.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Of that nature. I get that part.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I'm just talking about whether or not it's a winning strategy.
Most people in the country are centrist, their moderates, whether
they're Republican moderates or Democratic nominates or moderates, or just
flat out centrist to our independence. That's most of the
American population. They are not Nagarite and they are not
(02:15):
progressive left. She clearly is, and not to be literal,
not to be taken literally, but she gives the impression
that when you talk about universal health care, and you
talk about other things, if it equated to taxing Americans
seventy percent of their income, she wouldn't be against it.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
That ain't gonna win you elections.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
That's not gonna win you elections if you're living in
this day and age and you're talking.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
About fighting for certain rights.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Is in particular as it pertains to transgender individuals, athletes transitioning,
and men competing in women's sports and stuff like that,
which she's not about to speak against. If you think
that's gonna win you an election, you've got your head
in the sand.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
See.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
The real issue that I'm having right now with the
Democratic Party is I'm waiting to hear what your plan is.
It can't be we're just against all things Trump. What's
your plan? What's your plan for the economy? What's your
plan as it pertains to comprehensive immigration reform? What is
(03:22):
your plan when it comes to foreign affairs? What is
your plan as it pertains the Israeli Palestinian conflict or
should I say.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Israel with Hamas? What is your plan with Russia Ukraine?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Is it just giving Ukraine more money like Bidom was
willing to do?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
What are your plans? We got to pay attention to
all of this stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Jobs in America, recidivism in our jails, all of these things.
What's the plan? What's the plan as it pertains to
the vast majority of Americans in this country. What is
your plan? I don't have one yet. That's why I
(04:05):
keep telling y'all if I ever run for the presidency,
oh trust me, that's not a decision I'm going to
make for years, for at least the next two years.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
And I sincerely hope that it's not me.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You got a lot of people that look at Wes Moore,
the governor of Maryland. They look at Joshapiro, the governor
of Pennsylvania. That look at Gavin Newsom, the governor of California,
that looks at Andrew Cormo, the former governor of New York,
New York State, who's now running for mayor of the
City of New York. The key operative word and all
(04:38):
of that is governor, meaning you ran a state.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
As opposed to being one of four hundred and thirty.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Five representatives whistling into the wind about what you think
is wrong with this country.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
It'll equipped to do something about it because you're.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Relatively limited, because you're only one voice of many.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
As in four hundred and thirty five. You got people
talking about how she should run a Senate seat. Maybe
that's true, Maybe she's just.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Supplant Senator Chuck Schumer, who's been there for ages and
people have been critical against because he sided with the
Republicans a month ago instead of the Democrats. Either way
you slice it, here's the point. Are you really just
talking and railing against the establishment. Are you railing against
(05:25):
the new establishment that is the MAGA wright led by Trump,
or are you strategizing as it pertains to what's going
to work. I saw her go on tour with Bernie Sanders. Okay,
if that man mentions the word oligark one more time,
I'm gonna lose my mind.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
He's been saying this since nineteen eighty three. Haven't you
noticed that folks ain't buying that?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Right now, you're having these rallies, flying on jets and
doing all of these things, which is basically.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
The same kind of thing you've been complaining about.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Where's the consistency, where's the abosence of hypocrisy?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
These are the kind of questions people are going to ask.
Do you have the answer to that.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Other than railing against the establishment. I've listened to Jasmine Crockett.
Both AOC and Jasmin Crockett are welcomed on this show.
I respect the hell out of both of them. I'm
not here to disrespect anybody. I'm only talking about what
strategy is going to work. When I hear Jasmine Crockett
talking about how I'm just against all things and everything Trump,
is that legislating. Isn't it an obligation that you have
(06:41):
to come up with something.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
If the other party is in office.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
You have to go from thinking that you're going to
get what you want if your party was in the
White House and instead transitioning to how can I work
with the other party to get some of what I
want because I know I'm not going to get most
of what I want because they won the election. How
do we notice that was Obama's approach when he beat
Senator John McCain for the presidency in two thousand and eight.
(07:12):
That's what he said, I won, we won, It's our turn.
I remember Mitch McConnell the Senate, the Republican senator, speak
of the ouse. I'm sorry, speak of the Senate. I
remember what Mitch McConnell said at that time. My goal
is to make Obama one term president. That's not somebody
(07:34):
that was willing.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
To work across the aisle. I'll get that.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
But it compromised the White House because ultimately the kind
of power that they had in having a House, the
Senate and the White House was lost a couple of
years later. With what AOC is doing, with what Bernie
Sanders is doing, and with what Jasmine Crockett is doing,
I don't know if that's going to win you back
one of the houses of Congress come twenty twenty six.
(08:00):
What is your strategy? That's all I'm asking is a
question for Democrats everywhere, because if you don't come up
with an answer soon, Trump and his peeps are gonna
answer it for you, and they're gonna win the mid
terms in twenty twenty six, and then you'll really be
(08:25):
up Shit's creek.
Now let's get to Washington.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
In an early look at the race for the White
House in twenty twenty eight, according to the Wall Street Journal,
sources close to AOC say she isn't ruling out the
possibility of a president to run. The Democrats suffered major
losses in the November election, as everybody in their grandmama knows,
and the party is frankly struggling to find a strategy
to take on President Trump and his policies. AOC, who
(00:24):
is thirty five years of age, has emerged as a
leading voice for Democrats, but some within the party are
concerned she'll turn off centrist voters who are needed in
the swing states that Trump swept in November. For the record,
they are absolutely right, she will turn off centrist I
am not casting any aspersions on this young lady. I
(00:47):
think that if you are a Democrat, if you are
a leftist who rails against the system, who believes that
free market capitalism spearheaded by billionaires is not the way
to go, if you believe that not enough attention is
being paid attention to the desolate and disenfranchised, if you
(01:10):
believe that higher taxes is the way to go, that
a focus shouldn't be on securing the borders.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
If you believe those kind.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Of things, and that's where you stand ideologically, AOC is
your candidate, no doubt about that. Here's what I will
say to you. I have no questions about her heart
and the place that it is in. I think that
anyone that she represents knows that she's a fighter. She's
(01:44):
a fighter for them poverished. She's a fighter for urban America.
She's a fighter for union workers and things.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Of that nature. I get that part.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I'm just talking about whether or not it's a winning strategy.
Most people in the country are centrist, their moderates, whether
they're Republican moderates or Democratic nominates or moderates, or just
flat out centrist to our independence. That's most of the
American population. They are not Nagarite and they are not
(02:15):
progressive left. She clearly is, and not to be literal,
not to be taken literally, but she gives the impression
that when you talk about universal health care, and you
talk about other things, if it equated to taxing Americans
seventy percent of their income, she wouldn't be against it.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
That ain't gonna win you elections.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
That's not gonna win you elections if you're living in
this day and age and you're talking.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
About fighting for certain rights.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Is in particular as it pertains to transgender individuals, athletes transitioning,
and men competing in women's sports and stuff like that,
which she's not about to speak against. If you think
that's gonna win you an election, you've got your head
in the sand.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
See.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
The real issue that I'm having right now with the
Democratic Party is I'm waiting to hear what your plan is.
It can't be we're just against all things Trump. What's
your plan? What's your plan for the economy? What's your
plan as it pertains to comprehensive immigration reform? What is
(03:22):
your plan when it comes to foreign affairs? What is
your plan as it pertains the Israeli Palestinian conflict or
should I say.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Israel with Hamas? What is your plan with Russia Ukraine?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Is it just giving Ukraine more money like Bidom was
willing to do?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
What are your plans? We got to pay attention to
all of this stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Jobs in America, recidivism in our jails, all of these things.
What's the plan? What's the plan as it pertains to
the vast majority of Americans in this country. What is
your plan? I don't have one yet. That's why I
(04:05):
keep telling y'all if I ever run for the presidency,
oh trust me, that's not a decision I'm going to
make for years, for at least the next two years.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
And I sincerely hope that it's not me.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You got a lot of people that look at Wes Moore,
the governor of Maryland. They look at Joshapiro, the governor
of Pennsylvania. That look at Gavin Newsom, the governor of California,
that looks at Andrew Cormo, the former governor of New York,
New York State, who's now running for mayor of the
City of New York. The key operative word and all
(04:38):
of that is governor, meaning you ran a state.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
As opposed to being one of four hundred and thirty.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Five representatives whistling into the wind about what you think
is wrong with this country.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
It'll equipped to do something about it because you're.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Relatively limited, because you're only one voice of many.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
As in four hundred and thirty five. You got people
talking about how she should run a Senate seat. Maybe
that's true, Maybe she's just.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Supplant Senator Chuck Schumer, who's been there for ages and
people have been critical against because he sided with the
Republicans a month ago instead of the Democrats. Either way
you slice it, here's the point. Are you really just
talking and railing against the establishment. Are you railing against
(05:25):
the new establishment that is the MAGA wright led by Trump,
or are you strategizing as it pertains to what's going
to work. I saw her go on tour with Bernie Sanders. Okay,
if that man mentions the word oligark one more time,
I'm gonna lose my mind.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
He's been saying this since nineteen eighty three. Haven't you
noticed that folks ain't buying that?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Right now, you're having these rallies, flying on jets and
doing all of these things, which is basically.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
The same kind of thing you've been complaining about.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Where's the consistency, where's the abosence of hypocrisy?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
These are the kind of questions people are going to ask.
Do you have the answer to that.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Other than railing against the establishment. I've listened to Jasmine Crockett.
Both AOC and Jasmin Crockett are welcomed on this show.
I respect the hell out of both of them. I'm
not here to disrespect anybody. I'm only talking about what
strategy is going to work. When I hear Jasmine Crockett
talking about how I'm just against all things and everything Trump,
is that legislating. Isn't it an obligation that you have
(06:41):
to come up with something.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
If the other party is in office.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
You have to go from thinking that you're going to
get what you want if your party was in the
White House and instead transitioning to how can I work
with the other party to get some of what I
want because I know I'm not going to get most
of what I want because they won the election. How
do we notice that was Obama's approach when he beat
Senator John McCain for the presidency in two thousand and eight.
(07:12):
That's what he said, I won, we won, It's our turn.
I remember Mitch McConnell the Senate, the Republican senator, speak
of the ouse. I'm sorry, speak of the Senate. I
remember what Mitch McConnell said at that time. My goal
is to make Obama one term president. That's not somebody
(07:34):
that was willing.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
To work across the aisle. I'll get that.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
But it compromised the White House because ultimately the kind
of power that they had in having a House, the
Senate and the White House was lost a couple of
years later. With what AOC is doing, with what Bernie
Sanders is doing, and with what Jasmine Crockett is doing,
I don't know if that's going to win you back
one of the houses of Congress come twenty twenty six.
(08:00):
What is your strategy? That's all I'm asking is a
question for Democrats everywhere, because if you don't come up
with an answer soon, Trump and his peeps are gonna
answer it for you, and they're gonna win the mid
terms in twenty twenty six, and then you'll really be
(08:25):
up Shit's creek.
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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