Stephen A. Smith threw down the gauntlet, daring Donald Trump to a debate after blaming the New York Knicks’ Game 3 loss on the chaos surrounding Trump’s appearance at Madison Square Garden.
Smith’s comments came after Trump dismissed him as “low IQ,” igniting a fierce exchange. On Laura Coates’ CNN show, Smith made it clear he’s ready to confront the president directly.
“If Trump really, really wants to get down to the nitty-gritty and really wants to challenge me about my IQ, I welcome a sit-down with him,” Smith declared.
He didn’t hold back, inviting Trump to the debate stage, highlighting the president’s past jokes about bypassing the 22nd Amendment for a third term.
“I will be happy to show up against President Trump,” Smith asserted. “Since you think that my IQ is questionable, you want to find out, want some? Come get some. I’ll show up.”
Smith reiterated his stance that Trump’s presence disrupted the Knicks’ momentum, expressing relief at the news that Trump would not attend Game 4 of the Finals.
“If he’s not going to show up to Game 4, thank you very much for not being hard-headed this time and listening,” Smith said. “You disrupted the mojo that the New York Knicks fan base was building for this team to come home to.”
He emphasized that Trump, a self-proclaimed “lifelong New York Knicks fan,” should have been aware of the impact his appearance had on thousands of fans who were displaced and unable to enjoy watch parties outside Madison Square Garden.
“The Knicks had won 13 straight playoff games and it got ruined the moment Donald Trump showed up,” Smith concluded.
