Stephen A. Smith Defends White House Dinner With Trump, Says He Won't Apologize
Photo: Fox NewsESPN host Stephen A. Smith said on ABC's "The View" on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that he would not apologize for his Oct. 15 dinner with President Donald Trump at the White House. Comedian Bill Maher and Kid Rock also attended. Co-host Sunny Hostin asked whether the meeting achieved anything given what she called Trump's history of racial bias. Smith said it remained to be seen, but that he would try to engage the president. He said Trump would remain in office until at least 2028. Hostin raised the possibility of impeachment after the midterms. Smith rejected it and predicted Republicans would keep the Senate. Earlier, Trump had questioned Smith's aptitude to run for president after Smith predicted Trump would be bad luck at a Knicks NBA Finals game. Smith responded by challenging Trump to a debate.
Alternative / independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and right-leaning outlets had. Left-leaning coverage (HuffPost) centers on criticism from Jemele Hill of The Atlantic, who recalled Trump's June insult of Smith, and on Trump's past remarks about Smith and Maher. Right-leaning coverage (Fox News, Washington Times) leads with Smith's refusal to apologize and quotes his exchange with Hostin.
How the sides differ Left sources emphasize criticism of Smith over Trump's past insults; right sources stress Smith's defense on The View; alternative sources have not covered it.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
HuffPost leads with Jemele Hill's podcast criticism of Smith's dinner, recalling Trump's June insult and earlier remarks about Smith and Maher, and cites Smith's debate challenge on CNN.
Not covering this story. None of the alternative or independent outlets Crosswire tracks has reported it yet. What one side leaves out can be as telling as what the others report.
Fox News and the Washington Times lead with Smith saying he won't apologize; Fox quotes his exchange with Sunny Hostin on The View, including his Senate prediction.