Stephen A. Smith doubles down on Jasmine Crockett criticisms: ‘Rhetoric for the streets’

TV personality Stephen A. Smith did not back down from his criticisms of U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett amid widespread outrage from leaders and figures in the Black community who rebuked him for publicly calling out a prominent Black woman in politics.

During a recent episode of the “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.” podcast, Smith pushed back against his critics, naming many of them, including journalist Roland Martin, activists Tamika Mallory, Angela Rye, and Bakari Sellers, hip-hop star and podcaster Willie D, and comedian and radio host D.L. Hughley.

“You want me cancelled because I asked a question,” said the longtime sportscaster turned political commentator. “Because of that, you want me cancelled. You want to rally folks up to go against me.”

Smith refuted claims that he was “disrespecting” Crockett by criticizing her public attacks on President Donald Trump, rather than working with him to deliver for her constituents in Texas’s 30th Congressional District.

“You are a Black woman who is speaking your mind. I spoke my mind about whether or not that strategy is going to work for her and going to work for the Democrats in pursuit of regaining power during the midterm elections and, hopefully, the presidency in 2028,” said Smith.

He explained, “I’m not a Republican, and I don’t have a desire to vote for any of the Republican candidates that I see.”

The TV personality emphasized that he had “nothing but respect” for Crockett, whom he praised as “highly intelligent and accomplished.”

Smith said he invited Crockett on his podcast weeks ago and named other politicians who have appeared on the show, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republicans like U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and Utah Governor Spencer Cox.

Despite saying he respected Crockett, the podcaster called out several of her previous statements about Trump and Texas Governor Gregg Abbott—slamming them as “rhetoric for the streets.”

“This educated, brilliant Black woman representing over 750,000 people is engaging in verbiage and rhetoric for the streets,” he asserted. “How many of y’all bring the streets to the table when you’re at the negotiating table trying to get a deal done? How many of you are able to think that for a second that you able to bring street verbiage to Capitol Hill?”

Smith criticized Crockett’s calling Abbott “Governor Hot Wheels” and Trump a “piece of s—t” and a “white supremacist.” He did not mention incendiary comments made by President Trump, like calling the Democrats the party of “Satan,” or even personal attacks he made on Crockett, like repeatedly calling her “low IQ.”

Crockett, a University of Houston Law School and Rhodes College graduate, is a former Texas state representative and civil rights attorney.

“I appreciate her passion, her intellect, the fact that her heart and her willingness to be courageous, and all of those things, are in the right place,” said Smith. “But my God, isn’t it about winning, too? Ain’t it about getting it done?”