Full Show: Discusses LA wildfire with ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman. People complain about Trump and Obama at Carter's funeral.

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show – Episode Summary

Release Date: January 13, 2025
Title: Full Show: Discusses LA Wildfire with ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman. People Complain About Trump and Obama at Carter's Funeral.

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1. Los Angeles Wildfires: An Unprecedented Disaster

Guest: Matt Gutman, Chief National Correspondent for ABC News
Timestamp: [07:01] – [24:06]

Overview:
Stephen A. Smith opens the discussion by addressing the catastrophic wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, emphasizing the immense scale and impact of the disaster. Matt Gutman provides an on-the-ground perspective, detailing the destruction, challenges in firefighting efforts, and the broader implications for California's infrastructure and residents.

Key Points:

• Scale of Destruction:
  Matt Gutman highlights the severe damage, noting that approximately 12,000 homes and structures have been destroyed due to the wildfires. He states, "There are around 5,600 homes in the Palisades and about 7,000 in Altadena" ([09:13]).

• Fatalities and Safety Concerns:
  The wildfires have resulted in eight fatalities in Altadena and raised concerns about the safety of vulnerable populations. Gutman mentions, "Most of the victims are elderly or disabled who couldn't escape" ([10:27]).

• Firefighting Challenges:
  Critical issues include inadequate water pressure from fire hydrants and damaged sprinkler systems. Gutman explains, "The pressure wasn't right, so firefighters couldn't blast water fast enough" ([13:47]).

• Potential Causes:
  While arson is under investigation, Gutman discusses possible factors like transmission tower malfunctions. He notes, "There are videos showing fires breaking out near electrical transmission towers, but Edison International hasn't confirmed responsibility" ([11:34]).

• Economic Impact:
  Initial damage estimates have soared from $50 billion to potentially $275 billion. Gutman expresses concern over the financial burden on insurance companies and homeowners, stating, "Many are underinsured and might not afford to rebuild" ([19:36]).

• Community Response:
  Despite the devastation, there has been a remarkable outpouring of support. Gutman observes, "Aid pouring in at Santa Anita Raceway with clothes, diapers, and tents" ([21:51]).

• Government and Political Implications:
  Smith criticizes California's management and tax policies, questioning the state's sustainability amid such disasters. He remarks, "High income and sales taxes are burdening professionals, making residency in California less attractive" ([06:00]).

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Gutman:
  "The combination of ferocious winds and eight months without significant rain has created a recipe for an absolute colossal disaster" ([12:00]).
  "Firefighters fought relentlessly, but nature was so powerful, maybe there was nothing anyone could have done" ([16:35]).

• Stephen A. Smith:
  "The state's high tax rates and inadequate disaster preparedness have left millions vulnerable" ([06:50]).

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2. Political Tensions at President Jimmy Carter's Funeral

Discussion Between: Stephen A. Smith and Matt Gutman
Timestamp: [51:49] – [57:35]

Overview:
The episode shifts focus to the recent state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, where current President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama were both in attendance. Stephen A. Smith critiques the interactions between Trump and Obama, highlighting public and media reactions.

Key Points:

• Trump and Obama's Interaction:
  Trump expressed surprise at the perceived camaraderie with Obama during the funeral, stating, "I didn't realize how friendly it looked" ([51:49]). This has sparked criticism towards Obama for appearing congenial with a political rival.

• Public and Media Reaction:
  Commentators like Charlemagne the God have questioned Obama's demeanor, accusing him of "kissing the ring." Smith counters these criticisms by suggesting that decorum at a funeral necessitates civility, regardless of political differences.

• Historical Context:
  Smith reflects on the strained relationship between Trump and Obama, noting Obama's previous stance where he labeled Trump a threat to democracy. However, he points out that Obama’s administrative policies, such as high deportations, overlap with some of Trump's conservative agendas.

• Political Implications:
  Smith argues that the interactions should be viewed within the context of maintaining national unity and decorum at a presidential funeral. He emphasizes the importance of separating personal political grievances from official duties.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump:
  "They look like two people that like each other. And we probably do" ([51:49]).

• Stephen A. Smith:
  "Civility is the order of the day. These are two, one’s a former president, one’s the President elect... We understand that everyone should have some degree of relationship" ([57:00]).

• Charlemagne the God (as referenced by Smith):
  "Obama is kissing the ring" ([51:49]).

Conclusion:
Smith concludes that while the interactions between Trump and Obama at Carter's funeral may appear unusual to some, they underscore the necessity of maintaining respect and civility in official settings. He urges listeners to prioritize national interest over personal political conflicts, stating, "We should be very selfish in our thinking, in terms of us and what's in the best interest of the country" ([57:00]).

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3. Additional Topics

While the main focus of the episode is on the LA wildfires and the political commentary surrounding Carter's funeral, Stephen A. Smith also touches upon NFL playoff actions with guest Chris Carter. However, these discussions are supplementary to the primary topics and are briefly mentioned in this summary.

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Final Remarks

Stephen A. Smith wraps up the episode by reiterating the need for unity and responsible leadership in the face of natural disasters and political tensions. He encourages listeners to support wildfire victims through donations and highlights the ongoing political narratives that shape national discourse.

Call to Action:

• Support for Wildfire Victims:
  "If you'd like to help the thousands of victims of Southern California, please visit RedCross.org to donate today" ([24:05]).

• Engagement with Political Discourse:
  Smith invites listeners to reflect on the political interactions witnessed at significant national events, emphasizing the importance of respectful discourse.

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the episode, focusing on the critical discussions surrounding the LA wildfires and the political dynamics at President Jimmy Carter's funeral. Notable quotes with timestamps provide depth and context, ensuring that even those who haven't listened to the podcast can grasp the key messages and insights conveyed by Stephen A. Smith and his guests.

Transcript

[Stephen A. Smith]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the.

[Chris Carter]

February 2024 Nielsen reportery jeans de A and a Bolso de lis Claiborne quesiempras querido y andalias que convenen paranoches mascalidas.

[Matt Gutman]

Elije piyamas lijeras y frescas de Ambriel.

[Chris Carter]

JCPenney Valle La Pena.

[Matt Gutman]

What'S up everybody? Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Coming at you as I love to do at the very least three times a week over the digital airwaves of YouTube. Hope you all had an absolutely wonderful weekend. Obviously taking a moment to wish my very best to the citizens of California because it is an absolute disaster out there in la, specifically with everything that's happened with these wildfires. Obviously I wanna also take a moment to just pause for a second before I get deeper into that point to just thank all my subscribers and followers. We continue to grow at a pretty rapid pace, to be quite honest with you. We've picked up about 40,000 subscribers over the last few weeks alone. We've well, we well eclipsed over a million subscribers. Obviously there's a million more downloads on iHeartRadio and can't thank y'all enough for the love and support. Keep it coming. And I'm gonna keep on coming to continue to like and follow the show. Just click the bell to get notified of all of our new content and you too shall be the latest member of the Stephen A. Smith show family. And obviously, as I always ask you to do, make sure you pick up a copy of my New York Times bestselling book Straight Shooter, A memoir of second Chances and First Takes, now in paperback. Just go to straightshooter book.com to get yourself a copy. Once again, that's straight shooter book.com to get yourself a copy. Let me get right into it. I'm gonna talk about some football cause there's some action going on in the world of the National Football League that we have to get into bit later. There's some Trump stuff going on because obviously that's going to be very, very relevant. Relevant with him scheduled to be Inaugurated. Here's my thing, ladies and gentlemen. Right now, the story ravaging through our nation, these wildfires. Let me tell you what I've been thinking. And we're going to have on a reporter that's on site, an expert in this kind of stuff. I mean, the guy is a chief, chief news correspondent. He's big time and I'm looking forward to talking to him. And I'll introduce him to just a few minutes. He's out there in California as we speak and in Los Angeles. And it's a mess. It's a mess. I'm not going to get into specifics in terms of the amount of damage because we keep hearing something new every single day. 10,000 structures destroyed. And then we heard it was 15, potentially 20. We heard 50 billion in damage. Then it eclipsed to 60 billion. Now people are speculating over 75 billion people have been displaced from their homes. Obviously you're wondering what's going to happen, happening with them because of, of of insurance companies dropping, dropping their coverage, particularly their fire coverage. You're hearing that the reason that happened was because California didn't do the greatest of jobs in sweeping up the floor. Forest floors, as dry as it's been over the last eight months, been very, very limited in the amount of rain and what have you. The water that was coming down or the water that they had available to them wasn't necessarily utilized effectively and efficiently enough. The, the water coming out of fire hydrants wasn't enough power. You heard all of this stuff. One minute is not enough water, another minute that's not enough power coming out or pressure rather coming from the fire hydrants. So you could, you know, get rid of these fires. All of this stuff is going, is going on right now. And here's the conclusion that I've come to. I'm not going to say this definitively because we all know there's a weather tax in California. The weather's beautiful in Southern California. That's why they've been able to charge what they've been able to charge. That's why they've had the nation's highest individual income tax rate and high sales tax burden. Sales tax burdens and stuff like that, income tax, sales tax, the list goes on and on. You just look at a whole bunch of stuff. I mean, it's one thing I'm reading here, the state also has high income and sales tax as well as income tax applying or retirement income, except for Social Security. In other words, the state of California are professionals, are getting your money the professionals are getting your money. I would know. I've been getting taxed from them for years. And I got to tell you something right now, because of my travels back and forth for espn, I can tell you this right now. There's a legitimate discussion that has to take place as to what, as to how beneficial it is to live in the state of California. Seriously, when you consider their tax rates, property taxes don't seem to be that extreme in some people's eyes. But the sales, the income tax, the sales tax, and all the expense that comes with living in the state. When you just, as I read to you last week, learned that California had collected approximately $221 billion in tax revenue, there better not be a money problem. There better not be. You just hear some of these things that's going on right now and you really, really find yourself wondering what the hell is going on in the state of California. You really find yourself wondering about that. And how beneficial is it to be there outside of the warm weather? It's a sanctuary city. You know, they're not trying to capitulate the federal laws, especially with Donald Trump coming in into office. Gas prices, food prices, cost of living, all of these things very, very relevant. And then you got a governor and you're waiting for answers from him. We're tired of hearing you on the phone with the president. You're on the phone with the president. No, we don't want to hear that. Gavin Newsom's got something explaining to do. Karen Bass. I don't even know if I want to hear from her. I think she's going to get recalled. I think she's been such a disaster with this whole ordeal. I think she's going to get recalled. But that will be a subject that we can get into a little bit later. Right now there's more pressing things to find out about, to discover, and who better to talk to about that than my next guest? We welcome to the show now the chief national correspondent for ABC News, Mr. Matt Gutman himself. How are you, Matt? How's everything?

[Hunter]

It's been a bit tough, Steve. It's been a rough go for us, I think so many people in California right now. How are you doing?

[Matt Gutman]

I'm doing all right. Thank you for being on the show. Now, just paint a picture for us because we've read the reports, we've seen the news, but you're out there. And correct me if I'm wrong, do you not live out there, sir?

[Hunter]

I live in Encino, which is just over the mountain, over There an area that's actually under mandatory evacuations as well, also evacuation warning. So, yeah, like, a lot of us are living this, experiencing it and working through it. So, you know, we talk about the scale. STEPHEN A. And you mentioned that people are reading about it, the news. But every time I come back to the Palisades or to the Altadena fire, I notice something new. And just now, with my cameraman, Juan, we came upon this. This destroyed place that I'd seen many times. But the destruction is so vast here that everything is disorienting. So you sort of don't know where you are anymore. This is the. The village school. This is where both of my cousins went to school, and. And this is what's left of it. I'm gonna have him just show you the inside.

[Matt Gutman]

Oh, my goodness.

[Hunter]

Just completely wrecked.

[Matt Gutman]

And.

[Hunter]

And just on the other side of it is the. The Ralph supermarket, the major supermarket in town. The other major supermarket called Gelson's, also burned down. And I think that's what's so unique about this fire, is it's not just homes, but it's schools. The library, high school, elementary school, supermarkets, the rec center, everything is gone. And it's. It's hard to wrap your head around. My aunt's house burned down Tuesday night. So, you know, it's like, it affects so many people in the community. Mercifully, not many people were killed here in the fire. Eight people so far, eight fatalities and 14 others or 16 others in Altadena. So at the. At the Eaton fire, so deadly, but could have been even more devastating right now.

[Matt Gutman]

How many structures have been destroyed? How many homes are they speculating have been destroyed?

[Hunter]

So they're still counting. And we've seen search and rescue teams still going house to house in many of these neighborhoods, trying to assess fully the damage and trying to see if there are remains of people in the debris. But right now, here in the Palisades, it's around 5,600, probably a little more, and around 7,000 in Altadena. So, you know, they're talking around, you know, almost 12,000 homes and structures destroyed total from those fires last week. And, you know, we've got another Santa Ana wind event bearing down tonight with 70 mile per hour wind gusts. So everybody's on tenterhooks again, and people are traumatized here. STEPHEN A. Freaked out. My wife, who I love, but, you know, it was a really scary thing Friday night. The winds changed and it was going towards our neighborhood. And people having seen what happened here, were really really scary. Really scary.

[Matt Gutman]

And of the fatalities that, that have, that have been recorded that, you know, you've highlighted some of the numbers is the belief that folks were trapped and they couldn't get out or that they refused to leave and they thought that somehow some way, bypass. What do we know about that in that regard?

[Hunter]

It's a really good question. So we don't know exactly, but many of the deceased were elderly or people with disabilities who couldn't get out. The real piece of luck, if there is such a thing in this unbelievable tragedy, is that it happened especially here in the Palisades at, you know, started at 10:30, but was really cooking and middle of the day, some people were at work, other people were awake. A firefighter told me this morning that had it happened at 2am like so many other fires, there would have been more fatalities. Just, you know, it's hard to get people awake. They don't hear it, their hearing aids are out and it would have been much worse. So, you know, we don't know what caused the fatalities, but typically, and most of the victims are people who are elderly or disabled and just physically couldn't make it to the exit, couldn't make it to a car to be able to get to safety.

[Matt Gutman]

In terms of the actual fires that took place, has there been a definitive reason that has been established as to what happened in that regard and the forest floors not being cleaned, etc. Etc. Has there been a definitive reason that has been provided?

[Hunter]

No, and it could be a while. But I mean, I think that's the central question that everybody here is asking you. If you go on YouTube or TikTok or any of the social media or Instagram, you see like, all these videos purporting to show somebody setting a fire, some arsonist on this hill doing that, nobody knows right now. Arson is part of the investigation. Right. It's a factor that they're examining on the other fire, the Eaton fire, which was more catastrophic in terms of damaged homes and destroyed homes and fatalities. That's mostly being investigated, is probably something having to do with the transmission towers. And there are now three videos that we have, and there's a fourth that we haven't fully confirmed that shows a fire breaking out at the base of an electrical transmission tower just across the canyon from where these homes were in Altadena. And multiple people have it at almost the exact same time. Now the, the electrical company, Edison International has said we haven't seen any anomalies at that time. Everything was operating as it should. They're not denying that it was them. They're just saying there's nothing to identify their transmission towers as cause. So that's what is being investigated there. But there are a number of reasons and it could be, you know, that the brush wasn't cleared and it could be a million things. But the bottom line is, you know, climate change has made it possible for such a massive windstorm to hit this part of town, which is, I mean, you've been here so many times, right? Like the Palisades is nice, it's lush, it's much cooler than the rest of la. It's got that dampening marine layer in the summer. So this place, it feels different. It's just less humid and more moist. And you don't think of it happening here, but we've had eight months without any significant rain that has dried everything up. And I wish I could show you stuff, but it's, it's been watered or burned here, but it was so dry here. So you have a combination of those ferocious winds, everything being so dry, the most densely packed county in the country with 10 million people, and that is a recipe for an absolute colossal disaster, which is what happened.

[Matt Gutman]

Matt, what about all of these, these reports about there wasn't enough water in the fire hydrants? What about that?

[Hunter]

That may be the case. Right. So the Santa Ynez reservoir, which is about a mile in that direction, maybe even less, was supposed to supply water, but it was closed down for repairs for whatever reason. And what firefighters told me is that they were hooking up to the hydrants and the pressure wasn't enough to fill the tanks in their engines in the ladder trucks.

[Chris Carter]

Right.

[Hunter]

So they couldn't get enough water fast enough. The pressure wasn't right, so it couldn't blast fast enough. But one of the problems was that there were so many trucks in so many different parts of this town all at the same time trying to access that water that they don't think any amount of water in the reservoir would have been able to, to have been enough. A B See this house right there? The house next to it burned. The house across the street, the supermarket, everything here is gone. And so all of the 3 quarter inch sprinkler hoses in all these neighborhoods busted, right? And so they're leaking all over the place. So when we came in here early Wednesday morning, when the fire was at its most ferocious. I'll go back here. There was water everywhere on the ground. Stephen Ham. Like what? Okay, there's water everywhere. What's the problem? And it was just leaking in my aunt's house. It's like a swamp. So firefighters put water on it. The thing burned down. The ash and the soot and the clay and the dishes and the. The dishwasher and the dryer and everything just sort of got to be this muddy stuff. And you walk in there, and it's like six inches of swamp because the sprinkler hoses broke. In addition to the water from the hoses created this massy soup. And that's what you see in so many different places here. And the fire Chief at Station 69, which is right here in the heart of town, you know, like, it's the kind of place where kids do their birthday parties. Like, they're so part of the community. My cousins did their birthday parties there. Took my grandmother there. They put their fire jacket on. My grandmother at age 96, like, they're the nicest, best people. They fought like hell, man. They fought like hell. They were up for, I think, like, 72 hours. And they said that given the winds, given the fire, 100. Okay, Juan, chill that. So the fire was higher than that electricity pole, right? 100ft high and cantilever down, like, sideways on these guys. He's like, I've never seen anything like it. There was nothing that anybody could have done. They were spraying hoses. It's something that was 15ft away, like that wall, and the wind was blowing it back at them. Just stuff that boggles the mind. So he's saying. And he's got, like. He could have an axe to grind. He could blame the city or the mayor for not having adequate resources, but he said, I don't think any amount of resources, any amount of water would have made enough of a difference.

[Matt Gutman]

Matt, I know you've interviewed Governor Gavin Newsom in the past. I know you know him. Have. Have you spoken to him since all of this has transpired?

[Hunter]

I haven't yet spoken to him. We're planning on it either today or tomorrow. I've spoken to his people. It's complicated. Complicated today.

[Matt Gutman]

I can imagine. So I'm wondering, you being out there, you being out there, what is the noise like? I mean, I've. I've gone off about what we've seen and what we've heard. Obviously, he's taking a lot of heat. Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles, she's taking a lot of heat. If you've had time to digest the climate that is out there as it pertains to the politicians and the level of culpability, the people feel they have. What would you describe that as being at this moment in time?

[Hunter]

I think people are pretty upset. I think people are upset, and I think maybe they have reason to be, but we don't know yet. What I can tell you is, you know, that arson is being investigated, that it's very possible that. That there were very bad people who started this fire. Knowing exactly where to plant this first seed of a fire, knowing that given the winds, they would come right into town. Because where that fire started, you could not have planned it. If it were just an accident, it would be crazy. I'm not saying it is not an accident. We seriously don't know. But it just happened to be in a place that pushed that fire right through the heart of this town. And Altadena. There was no suspicion of that. There's a suspicion that something may have gone wrong with the transmission wires. Again, it's not confirmed in any way, but, you know, were they prepared? Could they have called out more mutual aid? Could they have had, you know, all the equipment and all the people that they have now, which is an unbelievable amount. And Stephen A. I don't know if you guys were watching this weekend and maybe you can roll this over, but yes, we were watching the air attack from my house. Right. Dozens of helicopters. It was like Vietnam. It was like Apocalypse Now. Watching this thing, you know, with the choppers going over your head, you know, like listening to Vogner.

[Matt Gutman]

Yeah.

[Hunter]

It was so intense with. With Chinook. Chinooks and. And firefighting helicopters and. And the DC whatevers, the DC10s flying over. They assaulted that fire on the ridge above our neighborhood in a way that I don't think I've ever seen. If they had had that kind of air assault, if they could have flown in those winds, maybe it would have made a difference. Or maybe if they'd had all these thousands and thousands of auxiliary firefighters, maybe it would have made a difference. But again, when you talk to the people here on the ground, they say, man, I don't know. That nature, it was so powerful, so indomitable. Maybe there was nothing we could have done. Maybe there was nothing anybody could have done.

[Matt Gutman]

Being a chief national correspondent, I know that you've got a whole bunch of sources, connections and whatever, but this doesn't involve that. Do we've heard a number. 60 billion, 70 billion. In terms of the amount of damage that has been incurred.

[Hunter]

Yeah.

[Matt Gutman]

What I'm not asking you to speculate, just ask you to tell me what you've heard about approximately what that number would be Particularly at this moment in time, not even taking into account more, you know, further damage that would be investigated.

[Hunter]

Obviously, you know, these are, I think, the median household, they say it's 2 million, but it could be much more of the median house price in Pacific Palisades. In Altadena, it's over a million. There are, you know, 25 and $40 million homes that have been destroyed here. It's the infrastructure, the water system, roads have been impacted so much in both of these places. And the big question is, how is insurance going to cover this? What's going to happen there? Yeah, some people, like my aunt, have been living in their homes for over 40 years, and I, I have a feeling that she's underinsured and a lot of people aren't going to be able to afford to move back here. So it's going to be in the many tens of billions, that's for sure. The question is, what happens to these communities? Can people move back to Altadena and these places that they have had homesteads for generations? Families who have been able to find a refuge there against Jim Crow laws could build houses and create equity. Can they go back now? Are they going to be insured enough? And then what happens to the rest of the, of the city? Insurance company is going to want to invest in California and insure people here. I mean, it's, it's, it's a scary prospect. This is a huge liability. And a massive question for Governor Newsom, who knows? I'm, I'm going to probably ask him this question. All of these people, the tens of millions of people that Newsom and others want to stay here, how are they going to be protected?

[Matt Gutman]

I'm wondering about that myself. Just reading, doing some research here. It talked about insurance companies abandoning folks in California with regard to the wildfires even before it took place. You know, you know, more than 10,000 structures in Los Angeles county being destroyed. You had stuff like this going on. Rising cost and cancellations have left many of the five victims without adequate means. And that's exactly what you're talking about here. And I don't know what's going to happen moving forward. So with that being said, very last question to you, how is the Los Angeles community pulling together in all of this? And you estimate based off of what you've seen?

[Hunter]

You know, so I love this question. I love this question because, you know, people are like, oh, la. It's Ola. And it is right, like, people can be vain and they can be fickle here, but are you guys Seeing what's happening at the Santa Anita Raceway on the other side of town in Pasadena near there, there is a, like a literal mountain of stuff of aid, of clothes, of diapers, beds of bedding, anything you could, generators, tents, like anything you can imagine is there. People have come out from all over. There are places where pets are being helped. Like, the amount of outpouring has surprised me and blown me away in the most positive way. And I'm so happy to see it. Elated. And had we been not locked down in my neighborhood this weekend, I would have taken the kids, but we couldn't get out of our neighborhood because there was National Guard posted down the street. But that's another issue. But yeah, like there has been a massive outpouring in a way that I don't think anybody imagined in this messy, complicated, traffic ridden city full of natural disasters, but also great beauty. Right. Like where we are is a beautiful place, is beautiful and the people are coming together in a way that is truly impressive. So I've been so heartened to see that. I know my colleagues are, we're out there at the Santa Anita Raceway and all the other places where they have been congregating and putting all of this aid together for the people who are homeless right now, who've been burned out of their homes. So what? The insurance companies may not be able to provide them right now. I think the people of la, the residents here are trying to do, you know, with just incredible pace and generosity.

[Matt Gutman]

Well, let me say this to you outside of this interview being must see because you've done such an exceptional job. It'll be even better when we see you in front of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Because he's got a lot of questions, he's got a lot. He's got, he's got to have some answers to a lot of these questions. And that's going to be Must See TV whenever he sits down with you, hopefully very, very soon. Matt Gutman, chief national correspondent for ABC News, thank you so much for your time and I really appreciate it. Thank you.

[Hunter]

Thank you, Steve.

[Matt Gutman]

Yeah, that's outstanding. Information provided by Matt Gutman. I just feel so sorry for those folks out there. And just, just, just to reiterate, authorities say at least 24 people died and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires burn across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The total damage and economic loss from the wildfires is now being estimated. Remember, I said 50, 60, 75, whatever. I didn't know Whatever. Now they're saying it's between 250 to 275 billion. According to AccuWeather. Meanwhile, thousands of firefighters from across the country are battling the flames. Including other firemen from Mexico and Canada. They've joined the fray. Roughly 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders. And as for the response to the disaster, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who I brought up a couple of times to Matt, responded, because you knew that President Trump was going to have something to say. And I told you Saturday how he was critical of Gavin Newsom, saying basically this was his fault. Here's what Trump had to say. In wake of the fires last week, quote, Governor Gavin News scum refused to sign a water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snow melt from the north to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning. In a virtually apocalyptic way, he wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt by giving it less water. It didn't work, but didn't care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to flow into California. He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster. End quote. Naturally, Governor Newsom responded by saying this and writing a letter to Trump. He invited him to his state to tour the destruction. Newsom wrote, quote, I invite you to come to California again to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who put their lives on the line. Okay, here's the deal. First things first. Donald Trump called them new scum. Clearly, he does not like this man. He sat up there and called him an incompetent governor. All in the same graph, all in the same tweet. He called them news scum and he says he's an incompetent governor. So clearly he doesn't like the man. Let's call it what it is, okay? That's more than we can say for him and Obama, which I'll get into a little bit later. But then I'm thinking about this story that I read when you had former Trump administration officials. This is what they've said. They've indicated that Trump initially refused to release federal disaster aid for the wildfires in California in 2018, withheld wildfire assistance for Washington state in 2020, and severely restricted emergency relief to Puerto Rico in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017 because he felt those places were not sufficiently supportive of him. I sincerely hope that's not true. I sincerely hope that Trump would not do that. Now, if you're Donald Trump and you want to turn California red, or at least from blue to purple or something, something closer to red, I don't think it would be wise for him to engage in such petulant and irresponsible behavior. So I guess the thing that we can say is we shall see. We shall see. But he did withhold, according to his the people that worked in his administration. He was hesitant in providing relief for the state of California in 2018 and Washington state in 2020 and Puerto Rico as well, because he felt they weren't supportive enough for him. Now, if he did something like that, that would be scummy, to use his word, new scum. That would be bad. That would be bad. I just want to say that, okay, there's no way around that. By the way, thanks again to Matt Gutman for coming on the show to talk to us about what's transpiring with these wildfires. If you'd like to help the thousands of victims of Southern California, please visit RedCross.org once again, that's RedCross.org to donate today. Coming up, they say politics make strange bedfellows. Well, we saw that on display during funeral services for President Carter between Barack Obama and Donald Trump. I'll get into that later. But first, Jaden Daniels was sensational in his playoff debut and Lamar Jackson is set for a meeting against Josh Allen in Buffalo this coming weekend. I'll get into all of the NFL playoff action in just a minute with my man Chris Carter. Don't go anywhere. It's the Stephen A. Smith Show. Back with more in a minute. Everyone, I need you to stop what you're doing and listen up. You do know that the NFL playoffs are underway, right? And the College Football Playoff national championship is next Monday. So with all that action happening, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you take advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with prize picks, the best place to get real money action. While watching your favorite sports, you see with prize picks, you pick two or more of your favorite players and then you simply re select more or less on their projected stats for the game. Game pick Patrick Mahomes passing yards, Saquon Barkley's rushing yards, and Demonta Sabonis rebounds, all in the same entry. And get this prize Picks is offering a free pick kick off your college football lineup, right with a 0.5 passing yards projection for Ohio State's Will Howard. The free pick is live. Now jump into the prospects app or website to make sure you're not missing out. Free pick will be live until kickoff on Monday, so download the app today and use Code SAs to get 50 instantly after you play your first five dollar lineup. Again, download the app and use code SAs to get 50 instantly after your first five dollar lineup. Prize picks Run your game. Now let's look at my picks for next week's College Football Playoff National Championship game at the Ohio State Buckeyes. Going up against Notre Dame Fighting Irish. First up, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard. More or less than 0.5 yards passing. Seriously, y'all. 0.5 yards? I mean, if you're a quarterback, you can't even throw for a yard. You should be banned from the damn support as far as I'm concerned. Of course, the answer to that is more. Of course. Next up, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard against the Buckeye secondary. More or less than 167 and a half yards passing. I think this is going to be more. I really, really do. I think Riley Lennon is going to surprise some folks. He's going to put up some air yards on, on, on, on. On Ohio State. I think they expected him to run. I think he's going to throw a little bit more than anticipated and I think that that's what's going to happen. Next up, we got Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love. More or less than 49 and a half yards on the ground. I'm going to go with more of this as well, because I think you can run on Ohio State a little bit. I'm not saying the brother gonna go for over 100, 150 yards, something like that, but over 49 and a half yards, I'm gonna go with more on this. Finally, Ohio State running back Travion Henderson. More or less than 57 and a half yards rushing. The brother's always good to break one. He's always good to break at least one. So I think definitely the answer to this one is more. You saw me. You see what I had to say? Okay, so you see what I'm doing? I'm doing more on everybody, okay? More on every single one of them. It's just that simple. Will Howard, Jeremiah Love, Riley Lennon, of course, Ray Veon Henderson. More than all of them. Because that's what we do at prospects. We aim to give you more.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies. Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.

[Unknown]

I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing a murdered black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez. She was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One podcast, one mission. Save Our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Gutman]

Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. Predictably, you know, I had to get into some NFL talk because there's a lot of NFL action that took place this weekend and who better to get into it with than my man, the one and only Chris Carter. All he did was catch touchdowns. The hall of Fame wide receiver. What's going on? Big time. How are you, man? How's everything?

[Chris Carter]

All good, bro. How you doing? You got your studious.

[Matt Gutman]

I'm not gonna bring up, I'm not gonna bring up Ohio State because I want to wait till next week. They don't play until next Monday. So I'm, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna wait to press you about that. I know you feeling it. I know you're feeling it right now and that's cool. Let's see what they do. All right. But we'll get into that another time and we'll get into Minnesota, your Vikings in the NFL in just a few minutes. But first things first, talk to me about what you saw this weekend and what has you most excited about these playoffs.

[Chris Carter]

Man, just the overall physicality. And I do believe that it's wide open, like the margin between who's going to be the best and a team like Washington. The Commanders with Jaden Daniels like that margin is really thin, thinner than we've seen in years. So is Philadelphia talented? Yes, but number of injuries and some other issues. Detroit, are they talented? Yes. Kansas City, who will we see in the playoffs? We know decisive home field advantage. I heard Taylor Swift is at least going to be at the division around so they're all, they're almost undefeated with her in attendance. So there's so much, there's such a great storyline but none of it you can predict.

[Matt Gutman]

Did you find yourself disappointed in the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday? Offensively, that is. Did you find yourself disappointed in what you saw against Green Bay?

[Chris Carter]

Well, I'm not going to say disappointed but I was concerned when you missed two or three weeks of practice coming down the stretch and you don't have that continuity and they have had times where their passing games has been average to bad. So now you missed that time and this is not something that you know, Jaden is not a natural thrower of the football of like the great quarterbacks that we've had played in in the NFL now and the ones of the past. So when you miss two weeks of practice time because of concussion, you're not in your normal schedule. Yes, I could see their passing game being all especially with the inconsistent way their passing game was during the regular season.

[Matt Gutman]

What did you think about A.J. brown being seen on the sidelines reading the book? What'd you think about that? I mean it was motivation. I thought he was doing it to keep his cool because he was so disgusted by being targeted just three times to catching one pass for 10 yards. I think he, I think he's just meditating trying to keep himself cool. But what did you make all of.

[Chris Carter]

That Very, very wide receiver ish. And AJ Brown, the more he plays, the more diva wiser things, receiver things that he starts to add to his repertoire. You know he is a great player, but I do believe there are a number of issues that he personally has with the quarterback. And when you open up a book like that compared to open up a conversation and communicating, that's just another sign that what what they have in Philadelphia, it could be very, very frightening.

[Matt Gutman]

I know we've seen some great things over their careers thus far in Jordan Love's case in the in the regular season and the postseason and Justin Herbert just the regular season. But what are you to make of what you saw of their performances this weekend? I Mean Jordan Love three interceptions, Justin Herbert four interceptions. He threw three interceptions the entire regular season and through four interceptions over 32 and 32 pass attempts yesterday, I mean, you know, Saturday, what the hell is going on with them on and off.

[Chris Carter]

The field, man, you are judged based on what do you do under the worst of conditions, like how do you respond and when you have the responsibility of taking care of that football and you throw the football in arms way now. And Jordan Love has done this more so than Herbert. But when you have the worst game of your career statistically, you know, all these things, they should be criticized. Like we criticize the quarterbacks a lot in the playoffs because they're the only player touching the ball all the time now. Yeah. Can that be aided by injuries? Can that be aided by drop passes? Yes. But when we give them all the credit because we give them the big contract, we should be criticizing these two quarterbacks. You know, Jim Harbaugh is not expecting that from his quarterback. Uber talented the way he is conservative the way Harbaugh is. That is not a championship match right there. I do expect him to match to repair that next season because he had a great regular season, only throwing three interceptions for yesterday. But Jordan Love, he is more of a gambler, like he's going to throw the ball in arms way more so than the other quarterbacks compared. I believe in protecting the football. When you protect the football, you protect the franchise. Protect the franchise, you protect my job.

[Matt Gutman]

When you saw Buffalo blow out Denver in the second half and you saw Baltimore blow out the Steelers in the first half. Don't get me started with that. I came into the weekend thinking Buffalo is going to take Baltimore out when they meet in a divisional playoff round. Now I'm not so sure. Based on me watching Buffalo, I know they won. They had a strong second half. If you get to the red zone five times, only convert once, I think you need more. You gotta have 41 to 18 advantage in time of possession. That's not gonna happen against Baltimore next week. How are you feeling about that encounter that's coming up?

[Chris Carter]

Oh, this is an epic battle right here. I mean, because all the pressure is on these quarterbacks, not only the franchises, but on these quarterbacks to be able. How far can they advance in the Patrick Mahomes era? And who's going to be able to knock Patrick Mahomes off, off the throne, but there's tremendous amount of pressure, man, to shop. I mean, this game though, is. I, I can't believe we're debating over the mvp because the, the way that Baltimore has played as a team, where would they be without Lamar Jackson? I mean, when you have the type of numbers that he's had 13 more touchdowns than Josh Allen. 400 more yards.

[Matt Gutman]

I get that. CC. Let me. Let me interrupt. Let me interrupt. Let me interrupt and I'm gonna tell you why. I'm gonna tell you why it's debatable, all right? Because even with Lamar Jackson's great numbers, you came into the season with expectations for him in Baltimore. In light of the fact that you're still Baltimore, you acquired Derrick Henry. In Buffalo's case, there's no Stefon Diggs, there's no Gabe Davis. And you look at him losing his two primary weapons and plus, McDermott was on a hot seat and wholesale changes were made on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of people didn't expect Buffalo to have a great season, let alone be the number two overall seed. That would be the reason for the debate, cc.

[Chris Carter]

Okay, no problem. We can have that conversation. But let me tell you something. He didn't play better than me. Every year. We got circumstances. I've been MVP twice. I'm having an epic season, not only based on my standards, but based on NFL standards. So he still didn't play better than me. This is like the great quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers, they have put the standard so high, and then someone comes maybe close to it and we're like, oh, he's the mvp, but he didn't play better than Lamar. Lamar had the best season.

[Matt Gutman]

Did.

[Chris Carter]

Did he have a surprising season? Yes. Now that's a different conversation. But did he have the mvp, best season of any quarterback? No, he did not. So that would be the conversation that I would continue expectations based on? No. What actually happened. So now we're giving them MVP because we didn't have expectations. Joe Burrow had an MVP type season. He had a questionable risk coming into the season. But we're not giving him the MVP.

[Matt Gutman]

No, that's because they. 9 and 8, but don't matter. Your argument is profound. I got to give it to you. You write about Lamar Jackson, you write about Lamar Jackson. Let's stay with Baltimore and Pittsburgh in this regard. Now that Pittsburgh has lost, Mike Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game since 2016. They're one and done at least five times. You know, you got people speculating about a lot of different things. The Steelers obviously ain't going to make changes. They don't fire coaches. They've never fired a coach. What are your thoughts about Mike Tomlin? Six straight postseason losses. And by the way, I mean, you know, they. They just don't score as well when you consider what's been transpiring. What do you do if you're the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to Mike Tomlin?

[Chris Carter]

CC in the modern salary cap era, the Pittsburgh Steelers system does not work, bro. Like, you cannot say, I'm not going to participate in free agency. All the money that you're making as a family, your philosophy is obsolete. Oh, I'm gonna only sign a couple of the players that I draft to their second or third contract. See, Mike Thomas been battling that. No one even talks about that ever. The economics of it. I mean, he is at a decisive disadvantage than people like Baltimore, Kansas City. Like, these people are spending bread, man, to get guys to come play for their team. All right? Not only do they have a franchise quarterback, they got people. I mean, they are going out of their way to make them highest paid at their position, man. So you know what, how many concessions do you want players to make to come to Pittsburgh when I can go somewhere else and get paid? So we're going to start talking about Mike Tomlin, and we're going to start talking about it in the right vein. It should really be about, man, is he limited there in Pittsburgh? Would he be a better coach somewhere else? Where they were spending up to the calorie cap and they were participating free agency. And also imagine Mike Tomlin recruiting now. He can get the kind of dudes that he wants to get. Oh, now that's a different conversation. So Pittsburgh, be careful. Don't step on yourself. Because you run a program that Mike Tomlin's familiar with, and that program can only get you first round, a divisional round, maybe in the second round. But it is not going to get you with the elite team because everyone is spending money now.

[Matt Gutman]

Chicago's in the market for a head coach. New Orleans, the Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy, he's gone. He's gone now because him and Jerry Jones couldn't reach an accord on a contract extension. What would be the best place for Mike Tomlin and who should want Mike Tomlin more than anybody?

[Chris Carter]

Well, Mike Tomlin going to Chicago is a game changer. Not only are you going to get the benefit of what he coaches on the defensive side, but you got a sure superstar in Caleb. Win at the quarterback, and I can guarantee you and Mike Tomlin gets him a quarterback just like when he had with Ben Roethlisberger. Even though they weren't spending up to the cap like other teams, the Chicago Bears are ready for a quick turnaround. If they don't get Mike Thomas, get someone like Ben Johnson, someone that can affect that Offense, I mean way Ben Johnson calls slave, I, I, he's the. I remember when Mike Marks used to come plays with the Rams. I'm like, my God, I never seen that play before. I mean the way they throw the ball, the way they attack the defense. So I do believe Mike Tomlin would be a great fit in Chicago. I believe Mike Tomlin would be a great fit with the Dallas Cowboys is why. Because he understands hierarchy. And I do believe that Jerry Jones having someone like Mike Tomlin, he would give away some of that power because he knows there's no rebuild. Mike Tomlin's ready to go now and I'm sure man, that locker room would respond to Mike Tomlin being named. So. Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, I mean any team that's got aspirations of trying to get their team in the super bowl in the next three years, Mike Tomlin, they should be calling Pittsburgh trying to work out a trade.

[Matt Gutman]

Last question for you. The Los Angeles Rams in Scottsdale, Arizona because the game was moved from LA due to the wildfires. They're going, they're hosting a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings tonight. You saw what happened to your boy Sam Donald last week. As I told you, I told you that was coming. I mean I tried to break it to you, I tried to break it.

[Chris Carter]

No, you told me that in week number four. So you were wrong in week five.

[Matt Gutman]

I don't recall week six, I don't recall week seven. I have no relation to that week nine week you got right. I don't know what you're talking about.

[Chris Carter]

Now look at it.

[Matt Gutman]

I don't know what you say, I don't know what you talk about, man. I don't know what you're talking about, but I know what I saw against the Detroit Lions last week. And now he goes into the playoffs fresh off of getting his ass kicked. What do you expect for the Minnesota Vikings against Los Angeles tonight?

[Chris Carter]

Man, this is a contract changing game because if he's able to win this game in Arizona and God bless the Rams, man, God bless their families and what they're going through out there. Horrific wildfire.

[Matt Gutman]

Absolutely.

[Chris Carter]

I mean it's hard to concentrate on a football game when life is really, you know, throwing you a, a really a, a set of unfortunate circumstances that we've never seen in our life. But this right here came to Sam Donald. It changes with how The Vikings attack JJ McCarthy. It attacked makes a statement of do they franchise him, do they sign him to a multi year deal? Because if he's able to win this game, you can't deny the Vikings got to be able to bring him back. And the only way that you can execute the ghost that you have or your past is by winning. He was shaky last week, but any quarterback can be shake. The way Detroit was playing, the way. The way they had them moving on.

[Matt Gutman]

With 13 guys on the engine list on the defensive side of the ball, that, man, they.

[Chris Carter]

That they played a hell of a game. They brought it to my Vikings. I. I respect that. But now it's the playoffs, and now all that can be rectified in Arizona against the Rams.

[Matt Gutman]

How you gonna beat the Rams? Rams have been looking pretty good.

[Chris Carter]

Oh, no, we're gonna throw it, man. We got to get J.J. man, you saw what happened last week. JJ. JJ is getting ready to have 150. All right? Defense is gonna turn the ball over.

[Matt Gutman]

That what you just said.

[Chris Carter]

1:50 in Arizona against the Rams tonight. All right, Tonight.

[Matt Gutman]

Sounds very emotional. Sounds very emotional. Sounds very emotional. Chris Carter, I'm gonna let you go, but expect the text from me tonight. Expect a text from me tonight. I'll be watching the game virtually with you, brother. You know what I'm saying? I'm saying. So living, whatever the hell the word is, I'm gonna be watching it with you. I'm gonna. Because ain't no way I can't. Well, I shouldn't say that because this is Justin Jefferson we talk about here. Anything's possible. All right, cc, Holla at you later, my brother.

[Chris Carter]

My God. Appreciate you, man.

[Matt Gutman]

Well, only Chris Carter right here with Stephen A. Over the digital airwaves of YouTube and of course, I heart radio. Coming up, President Barack Obama and Donald Trump appear to be chummy at the funeral services for President Jimmy Carter, and some are criticizing Obama for it. Well, what do I have to say? You'll find out in a minute right here on the Stephen A. Smith show over the Digital Airways of YouTube and iHeartRadio. Back with more in a minute. Everyone right now needs to stop what they're doing and listen up and listen good. With all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day. NFL games, NBA games, and the college football playoffs, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of all of it. That's why we've partnered with prizepix, the largest fantasy sports platform in Orlando, to help you cash in on all your sports knowledge. You see, Prize Picks is a daily fantasy app where you pick two or more of your favorite players and then you select more or less on their projected stats for the game. Choose from any of your favorite players, Saquon Barkley, Jalen Brown and Steph Curry, all in the same entry. Then sit back, watch and chill. The list is endless, y'all. And now with prize picks Flex Friday option, you can still cash out even if your lineup isn't perfect. That's right, every Friday. Just look for the protected play. So win or your cash back and get this Prospects now offers MasterCard for quick and easy deposits into your account during this sports season. Make your picks in less than 60 seconds and turn your sports opinions into real money all season long on prospects. So download the app today and use Code SAs to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Again, download the app and use Code SAs to get $50 instantly after your first $5 lineup. Prospects run your game.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report I'm Hunter, host.

[Unknown]

Of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One Podcast, One Mission. Save our Girls Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Matt Gutman]

Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. Before I get on out of here today, I want to take some time to get into some politics and chatter about what we saw last week during the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. There were five living presidents in attendance to honor Carter, including Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Here's what Trump said in regards to his apparent friendly exchange between himself and former President Barack Obama. Because you know, you saw Them together, sitting next to one another, yucking it up, smiling, you know, laughing, having a good time, that kind of thing. And this is what President Trump had to say about that. Quote, I didn't realize how friendly it looked, end quote. And then while watching the video, he continued by saying, boy, they look like two people that like each other. And we probably do, end quote. Now many have come to criticize President Obama for his interactions with President Trump. Charlemagne, the God accused former President Obama of, quote, kissing the ring, end quote, and pointed out that Obama once called Trump a threat to democracy. And of course, we heard Don Lemon going off about it as well on his. His. His show over on X, if I remember correctly, his look. Was it a good look for Barack Obama? No. On its face, no. Civility is the order of the day. These are two, you know, one's a former president, one's the President elect. And so there is a relationship to some degree that, you know, everybody should have. We get that. We understand that. Um, some would say Michelle Obama was more representative than anything, because, you know, she, she. She wasn't sitting next to him, wasn't there. You know, you look at it from this perspective. Here's my thing. It wasn't a good look, but it wasn't a good look because of Trump. It wasn't a good look because of all the things that were said about Trump during the campaign while you were trying to convince tens of millions of people to vote for Kamala Harris, fascist threat to democracy. You know, people bringing up Nazis and all of this stuff when they talked about Trump. So maybe if you hadn't said all of those things, people wouldn't be going off like this. See, to me, I look at it totally, totally differently. I look at it from this standpoint. It all. Everything goes to politics. We understand that. But in the end, it just shows how we should be very selfish in our thinking, in terms of us and what's in the best interest of the country as opposed to listening to what the hell these politicians say. Because we just can't trust them. We just can't trust them. The likelihood is that Obama didn't mean half the things that he alluded to or flat out said about Trump. Maybe Hillary Clinton did, maybe Michelle Obama did, but Barack Obama himself, probably not. By the way, if we're being honest about it, they got a little bit in common, at least when it comes to illegal immigrants. Obama deported more, sent more back than Trump did. He just didn't advertise it. So when Trump talks about closing the borders and not allowing over 14 million legal immigrants into the country and stuff like that. Obama just didn't advertise it, but he sure did it. He made sure it didn't happen. It was the antithesis of what Joe Biden did. Joe Biden ordered to open the borders, didn't give any kind of explanation whatsoever. Obama was considered the deporter in chief. That brother was not playing. When it came to illegal immigrants entering the country, he turned them back. And the ones that were here, he deported a lot of them. He wasn't mentioned. He wasn't messing around, he wasn't mincing words. He wasn't playing games. So in that regard, there are some similarities. You gotta at least bring that up. I don't think it's that big of a deal. I think class and decorum is the order of the day, especially at a funeral, let alone a funeral with of. Of one of the former presidents of the United States. I don't think that that's a time for vitriol. I don't think that's the time for insults. That's a. That's a time for cantankerous or abrasive behavior. I don't think that. That's not the place. It's not the place. I think that's fair to say. And Obama has always been considered class personified, so it's not that big of a deal. But Charlemagne the God is right when he says it wasn't a good look. I don't know about the kiss in the ring part. I really don't. Because Obama did his two terms. He's living his life. And when he's called upon by the Democratic Party to be supportive of it, it ain't phasing him. And, oh, by the way, he'll never be campaigning against Trump again because Trump is not running for office after these next four years. This is it. I don't think it's that big of a deal. I just. I just think that in light of all that was said about him leading up to the election, I go as far as to say it wasn't a good look. But that's all I'm gonna say. It ain't the end of the world. It really, really isn't. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. I'll holla at y'all in a couple of days. Until next time, everybody. Peace and love. I'm out.

[Unknown]

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[Hunter]

People who know bikes like I do.

[Chris Carter]

I'm happy as a clam disclaimer no conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience.

[Unknown]

It just meant that I feel really.

[Matt Gutman]

Good about my coverage.

[Chris Carter]

I mean, even if you took the climb out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy and your strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle what's up everyone?

[Matt Gutman]

It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top one on one, free agents will have it covered for you, with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.