WASHINGTON D.C June 10, 2026 — President Donald Trump sharply criticized ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith on Wednesday, calling him an “arrogant fool,” a “low IQ individual,” and “dumb as a rock” in response to Smith’s comments blaming Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals for the New York Knicks’ loss.
The exchange stems from Trump’s historic appearance as the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game. He watched the Knicks fall to the San Antonio Spurs 115-111 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Smith, a prominent Knicks supporter and longtime ESPN host, had publicly warned that Trump’s presence — which involved heavy security, street closures, and crowd disruptions — would negatively impact the team.
In a Truth Social post shared by the White House Rapid Response account, Trump wrote:
“Stephen A. Smith is an arrogant fool, a low IQ individual. In other words, he’s ‘dumb as a rock,’ and totally unqualified to ever think of running for high political office… He’d get annihilated in a debate by the most incompetent of politicians. Joe Biden’s now ‘fabled’ performance would look great by comparison…”
Trump also mocked Smith’s past flirtations with a presidential run, suggesting he would be “laughed out of politics” within weeks.
Smith had doubled down on his criticism earlier, arguing that the presidential visit created unnecessary chaos around the arena and disrupted fan experiences. He later trolled Trump for appearing to doze off during the game, saying “the brother wasn’t awake.”
Knicks star Jalen Brunson downplayed any distraction from the high-profile attendee, emphasizing on-court execution as the key factor in the loss. Trump has since indicated he will not attend Game 4.
The feud highlights the intersection of sports, celebrity commentary, and politics. Smith, known for his outspoken style on First Take, has frequently weighed in on political topics, while Trump has long been a vocal Knicks fan and frequent critic of media personalities.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the verbal sparring continued to generate buzz across social media and sports networks.
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