Stephen A. Smith defends White House dinner with Trump: 'He didn't run from any questions'

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith defended a Thursday night White House dinner with President Donald Trump after public clashes earlier this summer. Smith said Trump answered “every question” during the gathering with comedian Bill Maher and musician Kid Rock, and that the group stayed for more than four hours. Speaking on his “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.” podcast, Smith called the dinner “substantive” and “respectful,” though he said Trump was “very, very defiant” on criticism. Smith praised Trump’s civility but criticized his approach to the economy and inflation, drawing comparisons to Don King. He also said he pressed Trump on Black unemployment, DEI programs and HBCU funding, with Trump saying he would “look into that.”