Stephen A. Smith recalls a time when Donald Trump had allies in sports media, despite the current tension between them. Recently, Smith joined CNN’s Jake Tapper to discuss his criticism of the Department of Defense for temporarily deactivating an article about Jackie Robinson’s military history. This issue led him to challenge Trump, Vice President JD Vance, or Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to a DEI debate. When Tapper inquired if he had heard from any of these officials, Smith replied negatively and mentioned that he hadn’t spoken to Trump in over ten years.
“I have not spoken to him in many years. Obviously since he strolled down the escalators in 2015 to announce to the world that he was running for the presidency. But prior to that, myself and a bevy of folks in sports media, we all knew Donald Trump.” – Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/GKzeg3ybt2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 25, 2025
“I have not spoken to him in many years,” Smith reiterated to Tapper. “Since he announced his presidential campaign in 2015, but before that, many in sports media, including myself, were well-acquainted with Donald Trump. We would see him at the Trump Casinos hosting boxing matches and at Knicks games. Surprisingly, we got along with him very, very well. The behaviors we’ve observed since he became president were not apparent back then.”
Trump, well-known for his appearances on The Howard Stern Show, frequently guest-starred on various sports radio shows before his presidency. He joined Dan Le Batard on his ESPN radio show multiple times and appeared on Mike and the Mad Dog and The Michael Kay Show in New York prior to his political career, even giving over 20 minutes to Colin Cowherd on FS1 as a GOP candidate in 2015.
Indeed, the relationship between sports media and Trump has transformed significantly over the past decade. Earlier this year, ESPN broadcasted a brief statement from Trump before the College Football Playoff National Championship, which was considered a surprising event. While it’s unlikely for a sitting president to call into sports radio shows from the Oval Office, Trump no longer enjoys the open invitation that he once had. Nevertheless, Smith is still keeping his invitation open.
