ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith launched a blistering attack on President Trump Tuesday, accusing him of disrupting the New York Knicks' NBA Finals momentum with heavy security measures and suggesting the president nodded off during the game at Madison Square Garden.
Smith, speaking on First Take, took aim at Trump for the road closures and barricades that snarled traffic around the arena. He then pointed to online videos showing Trump with his eyes shut while seated next to Knicks owner James Dolan. “The brother wasn’t awake,” Smith said, stopping short of alleging snoring but making clear his view that the president was not alert.
The commentator drew a sharp contrast with Trump’s past attacks on former President Joe Biden, whom Trump dubbed “Sleepy Joe.” Smith asked: “If it was so important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep? … What should we call you?”
Smith also argued that Trump’s presence hurt the Knicks’ chances in their first NBA Finals appearance since 1973. He said the president, a Queens native, should understand how much a title would mean to New Yorkers. “He knows exactly what New Yorkers have been through and he didn’t care,” Smith added.
The New York Police Department had announced heightened security ahead of Trump’s visit. Smith described the resulting gridlock from Sixth to Ninth Avenues, blaming the “climate” surrounding the president for the extensive barriers. “Somehow, some way, it was there to protect him,” he said.
The exchange escalated after Trump responded to earlier criticism from Smith. When a reporter asked Trump about Smith’s threat to blame him if the Knicks lost, Trump called Smith a “nice guy” but questioned his intelligence, saying Smith lacked “a certain aptitude” for a potential presidential run and claimed he did not have a “high IQ.”
Smith fired back the next day, challenging Trump to a debate. “You want to talk about IQ? I could put my IQ against yours,” he said. “I could ask you why you’ve been running from me for the past year since I asked you to talk to me.” He added that he appreciated Trump calling him a “nice guy, till you tug at me a little bit.”
During the game, Trump faced boos from the crowd when the national anthem played. He later told reporters he found the NBA “a little left-wing” but still “great entertainment.” The Knicks lost Game 3 and faced the Spurs again in New York on Wednesday.
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Trump’s public appearances, drawing attention to the security and logistical disruptions that accompany his travel. It also echoes other high-profile clashes between Trump and media figures who refuse to back down.
