Stephen A. Smith Goes After Donald Trump | Postgame Show

Summary

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The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Stephen A. Smith Goes After Donald Trump | Postgame Show
Date: June 9, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a lively, irreverent breakdown of Stephen A. Smith’s viral segment about Donald Trump on ESPN’s First Take, along with the crew’s signature mix of sports banter, absurd audience polls, and playful digressions. Hosted by Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, the postgame show blends pop-culture hot takes with sharp-witted humor, particularly focusing on the intersection of sports, politics, and TV spectacle.

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Main Discussion: Stephen A. Smith vs. Donald Trump

Timestamps: 00:02 – 03:57

Setting the Stage

• Dan Le Batard (00:02): Demands to know the fate of sarsaparilla before diving into a recap of Stephen A. Smith’s viral First Take takedown on Donald Trump, musing whether the segment would stick to sports or veer political.
  • “I am insistent and I demand that somebody get me some answers about the extinction of sarsaparilla... I want to get to what happened with Stephen A. Smith on First Take.”

Stephen A.’s Monologue on Trump

• Stugotz/Panel (00:45): Describes Stephen A.’s dramatic setup for his address to Trump: podium, Hail to the Chief, American flag. The panel pokes fun at the theatricality and initial “fan service.”

  • “They did it with the American flag behind him. He stood at a podium and they played Hail to the Chief as he went in.”
  • “He started kind of lackluster... all the kind of like what it felt like fan service to Donald Trump.”

• C (01:01): (Possibly Mike or another panelist) Clarifies that Stephen A. tried flattering Trump before pivoting to criticism.

• B (01:03): Details the moment Stephen A. unleashes: accuses Trump of sleeping during the game, dissecting the impact of his appearance on NYC businesses, and calls out Trump for dodging debates.

  • “That brother was asleep and he just kept hammering home this dude was asleep.”
  • “If this president was so much about business and helping New Yorkers... he wouldn't have done all this.”
  • “You're gonna call me low IQ, I'm not the one who's been ducking the other one.”

The Censored Moment

• B (01:35): Reports a sudden cut of Stephen A.’s audio feed during a particularly pointed section, sparking speculation about ESPN’s censors:

  • “...They dumped the audio... what did Stephen A. Smith say that the censors over at ESPN... hit the dump button and said the last 10 seconds... is not gonna go out over air.”

• C (02:30): States the panel tried to lip-read but couldn't determine what buzzword triggered the censor:

  • “We knew by reading his mouth he said something continual about being asleep. But we don't know what the buzzword was...”

Notable Quote — The Dumped Stephen A. Speech (02:56 – 03:57)

Stephen A. Smith [clip]:
“Brunson played better when you weren’t there. Mikal Bridges played better... Josh Karl Anthony Towns played better... The crowd was festive, hyped and more intimidating when you weren’t there. Businesses were thriving before you showed up... I thought you were a New Yorker, Mr. President. I thought you cared. I thought it mattered to you. Gotham City, the New York Knicks, the erasing of a 53 year drought. I thought that mattered to you. Evidently it didn’t. And you know how we know? Because you actually talking about coming back the game 4. Why would you do that when you couldn’t stay awake? Ah, it’s clear you need your rest.”
[02:56–03:57]

• Dan’s Reaction (03:57): Dismisses the “audience problem” with a laugh, eager to move to polls.

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Absurd Poll Recap & Banter

Timestamps: 04:06 – 05:12

Juju Updates Polls

• Polls Recap by Juju (04:06):

  • Is someone who calls numbers “numbies” a douche? 91% say yes.
  • Do you know what sarsaparilla is? 51% yes.
  • One poll dumped for being “morally abhorrent”: What’s the worse way to die, asphyxiation or being punched repeatedly? Not aired.
  • Did Wemby let out the first two games of the series? 85% yes.
  • In a New York riot, is a barricade the first weapon? 91% yes.
  • If forced to drink urine, prefer warm or cold? 88% cold.

  Juju (04:30): “I have a trigger warning for you. This was the poll: worst way to die? Asphyxiation or punch? Repeatedly. We’re not putting that stuff out.”

• Panel Wraps with Classic Banter (05:12):

  • Closing non-sequitur: “Big rock like an old fashioned.”

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• Sharp Sarcasm: The crew riffs on the spectacle of ESPN productions, with quick asides mocking both Trump and Stephen A.’s performativity.
• Meta Media Critique: They laugh about the need for censors even on sports commentary, questioning what could possibly be so objectionable.
• Classic Le Batard Playfulness: Poll questions veer from bizarre to hilarious, keeping the show’s irreverent, audience-interactive spirit.

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Key Quotes & Attribution

• Dan Le Batard (00:02):
  “I demand that somebody get me some answers about the extinction of sarsaparilla. I don't want to leave today's show without knowing where we are on when sarsaparilla became extinct.”

• Stephen A. Smith [as quoted, 02:56]:
  “Why would you [Trump] do that when you couldn’t stay awake? Ah, it’s clear you need your rest.”

• Juju (04:30):
  “I have a trigger warning for you. This was the poll: worst way to die? Asphyxiation or punch? Repeatedly. We’re not putting that stuff out.”

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Conclusion

This postgame episode delivers signature Le Batard irreverence, using Stephen A. Smith’s Trump takedown as a springboard for comedic and critical media commentary, before descending into a rapid-fire review of outrageous listener polls. It’s a fast-paced, joke-packed segment that blends sports, politics, and pop-culture with the show’s trademark wit and unfiltered audience engagement.

Transcript

[A]

I am insistent and I demand that somebody get me some answers about the extinction of sarsaparilla. I don't want to leave today's show without knowing where we are on when sarsaparilla became extinct. And I need more answers on this. I also mean before we get to juju and some updated polls and morally abhorrent, I want to get to what happened with Stephen A. Smith on First Take. Mike was, was very eager to hear whether he would go back president. I assume he did over this silly stupid issue as opposed to serious things affecting our country. I assume that he kept it confined to sports because that's why we're no longer at espn.

[B]

So they did it with the American flag behind him. He stood at a podium and they played Hail to the Chief as he went in. Now I must admit he started kind of lackluster. I really was. It wasn't holding my attention because he was doing all the kind of like what it felt like fan service to Donald Trump. He was doing the same thing.

[C]

Adam Smith, he was building him up to try to build him back down.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. But then he got to, he tried to get to the part where Donald Trump was asleep. He said, now I can't confirm if he was snoring cuz I wasn't within earshot, but that brother was asleep and he just kept hammering home this dude was asleep. And then he said the idea that the president came and they had to blockade again everything from 25th to 40th and from 9th Avenue to 6th Avenue. It's not just that people were inconvenienced. All those small businesses there, those bars, those restaurants, those parking garages that depend on the traffic of a game day to make a lot of their revenue, they all had to shut down. And if this president was so much about business and helping New Yorkers and all that, he wouldn't have done all this. And then he went in on, you're gonna call me low iq, I'm not the one who's been ducking the other one. Cuz apparently he's been throwing out lob to debate Donald Trump. And Donald Trump has not been taking the bait. And so he pointed that out as he's afraid of me. And then he went back and started talking about him being asleep and all that stuff. And then Tony, this was weird. In the middle of it, they dumped him. Now the video feed still stayed, he was still talking. He's moving his mouth, but they dumped the audio. And so we're trying to figure out what did Stephen A. Smith say that the censors over at abc, at espn, excuse me, hit the dump button and said the last 10 seconds of what he's saying right now is not gonna go out over air.

[C]

So we knew by reading his mouth he said something continual about being asleep. But we don't know what the buzzword was that got him pinged for that. So we're gonna read him.

[A]

Put it on the poll please. At LeBatard show. Worst thing to do during the NBA finals. Fall asleep or play solitaire. Here's Juju with us now to update some polls.

[B]

No, Dan, I'm so. Give me a second because we have the clip of him getting dumped right here. Run it.

[D]

Brunson played better when you weren't there. Mikel Bridges played better when you weren't there. Josh Karl Anthony Towns played better when you weren't there. Landry Shamit played better when you weren't there. The crowd was festive, hyped and more intimidating when you weren't there. Businesses were thriving before you showed up. Parking garages were being fed before you showed up. There was noise reverberating off the walls of Madison Square Garden before you showed up. And this is what you've done. I thought you were a New Yorker, Mr. President. I thought you cared. I thought it mattered to you. Gotham City, the New York Knicks, the erasing of a 53 year drought. I thought that mattered to you. Evidently it didn't. And you know how we know? Because you actually talking about coming back the game 4. Why would you do that when you couldn't stay awake? Ah, it's clear you need your rest.

[A]

That's just an audience problem I. I dispute. I mean in all forms. Get that off my screen. Juju, let's update the polls at lebatard show. What do you got?

[E]

Guy who calls numbers numbies, Douche or no douche, 91% of the audience says douche. Do you know what sarsaparia is? Or Sarsaparilla? 51% of the audience says yes, they do. You feel me? We had one poll that ended up on the dump list today. The naughty list. And we.

[D]

We.

[E]

I have a trigger warning for you. This is was the poll worst way to die? Asphyxiation or punch? Repeatedly. We're not putting that stuff out. Come on, Michelle Beetle. Next poll. Did Wemby let out the first two games of the series? 85% of the audience says yes. In a New York riot, is a barricade the first thing a rioter would use as a weapon? 91% of the audience says yes. And last poll, if you had to drink your own urine, would you prefer it to be warm or cold? 88% of the audience says cold. And those are your polls.

[B]

Big rock like an old fashioned.