Trump Attacks Stephen A. Smith—Feud Heats Up Amid NBA Finals

BreakingBusinessTrump Attacks Stephen A. Smith—Feud Heats Up Amid NBA FinalsBySiladitya Ray,Forbes Staff. Siladitya Ray is a New Delhi-based Forbes news team reporter.Follow AuthorJun 10, 2026, 08:18am EDTToplinePresident Donald Trump lashed out at Stephen A. Smith in a Truth Social post early on Wednesday in his latest feud with a prominent media figure, this time sparked by the ESPN anchor’s criticism of the president attending the Knicks-Spurs game in New York on Monday. Stephen A. Smith speaks at SiriusXM Front Row Live from the NBA Finals in New York City. Getty Images for SiriusXMKey FactsIn a post on Truth Social, Trump called Smith an “arrogant fool, a low-IQ individual,” and said he was “totally unqualified” to run for political office.Smith previously teased a 2028 Democratic presidential campaign, but he has since said he no longer plans to run because he would have to “give up my money,” likely a reference to his multi-million-dollar ESPN deal.Responding to Smith’s challenge for a debate, Trump said the “First Take” host would get “annihilated “ by the most “incompetent of politicians.”In his post, the president volleyed several insults at Smith, saying he was “dumb as a rock,” and a “loudmouth huckster,” who would be laughed out of politics.Trump swiped at Smith while speaking to reporters after Monday’s game, but this is the first time he has outright attacked the ESPN host on Truth Social. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('defer', '1'); script.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); iframeDoc.body.appendChild(script); }; document.head.appendChild(iframe); const preloadResourcesEndpoint = 'https://cds.elements.video/a/...