The latest dust-up between Stephen A. Smith and Donald Trump has escalated beyond if the ESPN host believes the former Apprentice host is to blame for the New York Knicks losing at home last night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“You want to talk about IQ?” a very pseudo presidential-looking Smith dared Trump this AM after POTUS post-game doubted the prized pundit had the brains to actually pull off a much teased White HouseI bid.
Exiting Madison Square Garden late Monday after the San Antonio Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in months with a 115-111 result, Trump quipped one needs “a certain aptitude to run for president — you need a high IQ.” Preparing to board Air Force One back to DC, the Queens-born Trump added of “nice guy” Smith and his intelligence: “I’m not sure he has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”
Tuesday morning, standing at a glass lectern in front of a giant video screen with the Stars and Stripes on it and “Hail to the Chief” playing, Smith hit back at the often dozing off and detail challenged almost 80-year-old Trump.
“I’m not going to accuse him of snoring because I wasn’t in earshot,” Smith also said this morning of Trump clearly nodding off up in Knicks owner Jimmy Dolan’s MSG suite on Monday during the match-up between the hometown team and the winning Spurs. “The brother wasn’t awake.”
“I’d put my IQ up against yours any day of the week,” Smith also stated in response to one of Trump’s favorite insults to everyone.
Then Smith, who has ripped Democrats as often as MAGA in one headline-snagging 2028 contenders statement after another the past year, made his three-pointer shot. He said to Trump: “I could go one better. I could ask you why you’ve been running for me the last year since I wanted to talk to you. I could ask you to debate me since you think you’re that dude, okay? We can go a myriad of ways with all of this.”
Smith, who Monday and today took Trump to task for the hassle, canceled watch parties, closed businesses and intense security that surrounded his attendance at last night’s star-studded Big Apple game, issued a warning of sorts to the now registered Florida resident.
“You’re actually talking about coming back for Game 4,” a full in flight Smith said of the June 10 MSG Knicks vs Spurs event “Why would you do that? It’s clear you need your rest, isn’t it? New York Knicks need it too. Give New Yorkers a break,” he continued.
“Stay at the White House, go to Mar-a-Lago, go to Bedminster, do whatever it is that you gotta do, just stay the hell away from the New York Knicks for the rest of this series.
“Pretty please with sugar on top,” Smith concluded with a promise of a deeper take later.
“Stay tuned.”
Trump oddly has said nothing on this today … stay tuned.
In the meantime, take a look:
Stephen A Smith responds to Donald Trump calling him a low IQ individual on First Take:
“You wanna talk about IQ, I could say I could put my IQ against yours, I got something even better I could ask you why you been running from me for the past year since I asked you to talk to… https://t.co/iI1DpLjkRb pic.twitter.com/Edon6R1fzF
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 9, 2026
