Stephen A's Take: I'm a frustrated voter. Roland Martin don't knock me for speaking facts.

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show: "I'm a Frustrated Voter. Roland Martin Don't Knock Me for Speaking Facts"
Release Date: December 20, 2024

In this compelling episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves deep into the murky waters of political discourse, media representation, and voter frustration. Tackling recent controversies and interactions with fellow commentator Roland Martin, Stephen A. provides his unfiltered analysis of the Justice Department’s report on the January 6 Capitol riots and its broader implications on American politics.

1. Addressing the Controversy with Roland Martin

The episode kicks off with Stephen A. addressing comments made by his friend Roland Martin. Martin publicly expressed confusion and disagreement with Stephen A.'s take on the DOJ report concerning the January 6 events. Stephen A. responds candidly, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue even amidst disagreements.

"I'm a frustrated voter. I watch the Democrats get their ass kicked. I watched them in the aftermath of the election literally say, well, Trump really didn't win the popular vote. I mean, he didn't get 50% of the vote."
—Stephen A. Smith [15:51]

2. Unpacking the DOJ Report on January 6

Stephen A. scrutinizes the DOJ’s findings, which revealed that the FBI had 26 confidential informants present during the Capitol riots. Contrary to some interpretations, the report clarified that only three informants were explicitly instructed to monitor potential domestic terrorist threats, while the remaining 23 acted independently.

"Look at this report from the DOJ. It reads, confusion and lack of coordination contributed to the FBI's inaccurate report to Congress..."
—Stephen A. Smith [09:00]

He argues that the report does not substantiate claims of FBI misconduct or validate conspiracy theories suggesting governmental manipulation of the events.

3. The Media’s Role in Shaping Perceptions

Stephen A. criticizes both sides of the political spectrum for their roles in perpetuating misinformation. He expresses frustration over how both Democrats and Republicans manipulate narratives to serve their agendas, often at the expense of the truth.

"Why do I bring that up? It doesn't convict the FBI. It doesn't authenticate or validate assertions from the MAGA right."
—Stephen A. Smith [09:00]

He further elaborates on how media figures, including Roland Martin, sometimes distort information, leading to public confusion and polarization.

4. The Frustration of the Common Voter

A central theme of the episode is Stephen A.'s frustration as a voter navigating through a sea of conflicting information and biased reporting. He emphasizes the desire for clear, factual information devoid of political spin.

"I just want as close to the truth as I can get to elevate my level of understanding. I am sorry, Roland Martin, if that was such a bad thing, that would get you so riled up..."
—Stephen A. Smith [19:13]

Stephen A. highlights the challenges everyday Americans face in discerning truth from partisan rhetoric, leading to widespread voter dissatisfaction and disengagement.

5. The Impact of Perceptions Over Facts

Exploring the psychology behind political beliefs, Stephen A. asserts that perceptions often overshadow factual accuracy in shaping public opinion. He discusses how repeated exposure to certain narratives can influence voter attitudes more profoundly than objective truths.

"Perceptions provoke people's attitudes while they walk to the polls, even more so than the facts. It's not that the facts don't matter, but that they always seem so debatable."
—Stephen A. Smith [18:09]

6. Final Thoughts: Seeking Clarity Amidst Chaos

In his concluding remarks, Stephen A. reiterates his role as an observer striving for understanding amidst the political chaos. He calls for greater accountability in media reporting and urges fellow commentators to engage in meaningful, fact-based discussions.

"I was simply expressing frustration as a conscientious observer, not an expert like you, bro. I know my lane."
—Stephen A. Smith [19:13]

He emphasizes the need for voters to seek clarity and remain informed, advocating for a political environment where truth and transparency prevail over partisan agendas.

Conclusion

This episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show offers a raw and honest exploration of the current political landscape, media influence, and voter frustration. Stephen A.'s candid dialogue with Roland Martin serves as a microcosm of the broader national conversation, highlighting the urgent need for truthful discourse and informed citizenship in an era rife with misinformation.

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen A. Smith [15:51]: "I'm a frustrated voter. I watch the Democrats get their ass kicked..."

• Stephen A. Smith [09:00]: "Look at this report from the DOJ. It reads, confusion and lack of coordination contributed to the FBI's inaccurate report to Congress..."

• Stephen A. Smith [18:09]: "Perceptions provoke people's attitudes while they walk to the polls, even more so than the facts..."

This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, providing listeners with valuable insights into Stephen A. Smith's perspectives on pressing political issues.

Transcript

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up, everyone? 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 101, 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 podcasts.

[Julie Swerbinks]

What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swerbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swerbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swerbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let me get right to it, because there's a lot of stuff to get into and I'm not mad and pissed off like some people are. But I'm not gonna run from subjects either, because certain things need to be broached and we're gonna get started today in a world of politics and social media where many of you have taken issue with my takes on the political headlines. I want to say for the record, that's fair. I accept it. And it often comes with being a pundit in this business. I've accepted that a long time ago. With that being said, I want to address some recent comments from my friend Roland Martin, who took issue with my thoughts this past weekend on a Justice Department's report on the January 6 Capitol riots in 2021. In summary, I made the connection that Donald Trump appeared to be right to some degree when it came to the conspiracy theories about the FBI's involve on that day. At least that's how some took it well. Here's what Roland Martin had to say Monday about my comments on his show. Roland Martin, unfiltered. Take a listen.

[Roland Martin]

I have no idea what the hell Stephen A.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Was just talking about.

[Roland Martin]

I know Stephen A. I respect Stephen A. Stephen A. You know, sports on this. You know what the hell you talking about? Like, I literally have no idea what the hell he was talking about there. How he's pissed off and the Democrats and Trump says stuff was rigged and y'all MAGA is running that clip everywhere all day is saying, oh, see, even Steven.

[Unknown Speaker]

The truth, the truth.

[Roland Martin]

They always knowing the truth. Go to my iPad. Associated Press Fact focus Inspector General's January 6th report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup. The basis of what the right has been saying is that January 6th was fine. It was great. It was wonderful. But the FBI, it was a setup. The FBI, they were behind the whole deal. They were agents. They were the ones who were starting stuff. That's the report. And so when Stephen A. Is going on and all they said hearing making Trump out to be. No, he lied. He lied.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Couple of things. First off, Roland Martin, nice touch with the cowboy hat. You should wear it more often. It's fitting of you. You are from Texas, after all. You're a Texans fan, if I remember correctly. So it's more apropos that you put on that hat even more so than I do. So good luck there. But nice try. Ain't gonna work this way. Before I get into it any further, let me show my audience exactly what Roland Martin was replying to when he said, I didn't know what the hell I was talking about. This is what he was responding to that had him all up in a tizzy. Take a listen. The news comes amidst a bombshell report from the Justice Department that revealed the FBI had at least 26 confidential informants on the ground when the Capitol was stormed on January 6, 2021. The report says most of the informants engaged in illegal activity during the chaos. The justice department says only three of its 26 informants present had been instructed to observe potential domestic terrorist suspects on the day of the riot. The rest of the 23 appeared to have gone to the Capitol on their own accord. Upon hearing news of the report, Vice President elect J.D. vance posted the following on X quote, for those keeping score at home, this was labeled a dangerous conspiracy theory months ago. End quote. Didn't hear anything about that for the election. Didn't hear anything about that when the quote, unquote insurrection was broached by Vice President Kamala Harris as a Democratic nominee. The belief that Donald Trump was a danger to democracy and using this as a profound, illuminating bully bullet point to make that case. And now here we are yet again finding even more evidence to Donald Trump's claims when he articulated that process is rigged. My big issue is that I'm really, really sick and tired of every time I turn around finding something else that the Democrats have Lied about or downplayed or misrepresented along the way. I mean, I see Republicans like Megan Kelly or Officer Tatum or Candace Owens or, you know, Deshaun Hannity of the world.

[Unknown Speaker]

You know what I'm getting tired of? I'm getting. You know what I'm getting to the Democratic Party. You know what I'm getting really off about? I'm getting really ticked off at every time they open their mouth about something pertaining to y'all, they seem right to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Make the case that the right had a monopoly on insidious, evil tendencies, corrupt tendencies, duplicitous, hypocritical, untruthful tendencies. And every time they made those accusations, we turn around and find out that at least some of them are guilty of the same. I don't know about y'all, but I'm sick of all of it. I'm sick of all of it. They've actually made Donald Trump look like he was right instead of them. That is what Roland Martin is responding to. That is what he is saying. He doesn't understand what the hell I'm talking about and what I'm saying when he brings that up. First of all, let me say this about Roland Martin. Not hangout buddies or anything like that, but we are friends. He's a guest on this show anytime I ask him to. I respect his knowledge, and he is absolutely right. This is his lane, not mine. Sports is my thing. This is what he does. I get that. But I am allowed to be an expert on what the hell comes out of my mouth and what I believe I said. And that is why I clap back respectfully at my man Roland Martin, not his panelists chirping and mimicking and laughing and giggling in the sideline like anybody know who the hell they are? I ain't talking about them. That's a waste of my time. I'm talking about my brother Roland Martin here. When you say you don't understand or you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, and you have a panel.

[Unknown Speaker]

To piggyback and parrot every syllable you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Uttered, well, why are you doing it.

[Unknown Speaker]

If you didn't understand what I'm talking about? Why am I getting attacked if you don't comprehend or understand what I was saying? If it's convoluted, why not ask me to come on and clarify? Why not talk to me and say, what exactly is it that you're trying to say? That is not what Roland Martin did, ladies and gentlemen. What he did instead was marry my thoughts to these Extreme conspiracy theories that the maga right, might have put out there about the FBI having some pivotal role in what transpired on January 6, 2021. That's what he was doing. Look at this right here. Look at this report from the doj. It reads, confusion and lack of coordination contributed to the FBI's inaccurate report to Congress that had canvassed field offices after January 6th. The FBI reported to Congress that it had directed its field officers prior to January 6th to canvas their CHSS4 information concerning threats in connection with the January 6th electoral certification. However, as noted, we found that no canvassing of field officers for source information had occurred. We found that the FBI statements to Congress were not intentionally inaccurate and that confusion and lack of coordinated communications contributed to the inaccurate reporting. Why do I bring that up? It doesn't convict the FBI. It doesn't authenticate or validate assertions from the maga. Right.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That somehow the FBI was corrupt and.

[Unknown Speaker]

They manipulated the proceedings to, you know.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Invoke or provoke violence at the US.

[Unknown Speaker]

Capitol that ultimately will be blamed on Donald Trump.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's not what I was saying.

[Unknown Speaker]

What I was saying is, why the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Hell are we hearing about this now? What took the report so damn long? How come we didn't hear about this before the election? And is it possible that the reason why we didn't hear about it before the election is because folks on the.

[Unknown Speaker]

Left wanted to marry January 6th completely and totally and utterly to Donald Trump? Is that clear enough? Since y'all got people chirping in you. Since you got people chirping in your studio, let me chirp to people in my studio, Brandon. Is that clear enough? Is that clear enough, man? I think it is, but let me go a step further. I'm a registered independent.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The.

[Unknown Speaker]

There's people on Roland Martin unfiltered, by the way.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Watch that. The brother's brilliant. I got love for him. Got over a million and a half subscribers. Ain't trying to dissuade anybody from watching my man Roland Martin.

[Unknown Speaker]

Cause I watch him. What I'm saying is these people that were behind the scenes before they came on, as your panelists, I recall one person saying, I either need to know what the hell I'm talking about or admit that I'm 100% MAGA. I got news for you. I'm neither. I don't completely know all the intricate details, nor am I mega. I'm a registered independent who voted for Kamala Harris. Oh, by the way, they tried to sit up there and say, I didn't vote for Kamala.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Harris.

[Unknown Speaker]

I'm sorry, I thought y'all were about facts. I did vote for her. I have my issues. I had my reservations, but I was unapologetic about who I was voting for, and I was very transparent about it. Where's your facts? So you get to engage in innuendo, express frustration, but I can't. Why not? Every time we turn around. All I was trying to say is that something repeatedly comes up that gives the right fodder to say, see, look what they did when President Joe Biden decided to pardon his son Hunter. I got no problems with that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But.

[Unknown Speaker]

I did have a problem with them lying about it for months, saying, we're.

[Stephen A. Smith]

About to rule the law. We're about to rule the law. We're about to rule the law. He said, he's not going to pardon Hunter. They're about to rule the law.

[Roland Martin]

To rule the law, rule of law.

[Unknown Speaker]

And then all of a sudden, he parties him and you hear crickets. So here come the right again. See? See, they're lying. I've often joked about people like Sean Hannity and other conservatives that I know that if you are a Republican and you shot somebody in broad daylight on Fifth Avenue in New York City, the first words that would come out of their mouth is the Democrats did it first. Because their real salty position is not about acting like they're holier than thou. It's about the Democrats always acting like they're on a higher moral ground and they're above board. When one evidence, nugget of evidence after another always comes forth showing us they're not. That is frustrating for somebody who doesn't know all the facts and intricate details and studies this night and day like Roland Martin. Everybody's. Everybody's industry or chosen profession isn't following what's happening on Capitol Hill and everything associated with it. People working nine to fives taking care of families, getting stuck in traffic for two hours a day, preoccupied with an abundance of other things, relying on others to give them information, but also frustrated that everybody's got a spin. That's all I was saying. I didn't take a definitive position against anybody into perpetuity. I'm simply making the point that it gets frustrating to see little nuggets of intel always leaking out, usually after the fact, incriminating with one side or the other all the damn time. And Roland Lamar will come up with his facts and he'll spew them out for the world to know. That doesn't erase the perception and roll him on. You know this better Than me, bro. Perceptions provoke people's attitude while they walk to the polls, even more so than the facts. It's not that the facts don't matter, but that they always seem so debatable. Ultimately, it comes back to how you feel. Am I clear enough? B. Am I convoluted? Now, fellas, ladies, I'm a frustrated voter. I watch the Democrats get their ass kicked. I watched them in the aftermath of the election literally say, well, Trump really.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Didn'T win the popular vote. I mean, he didn't get 50% of the vote.

[Unknown Speaker]

Who cares? He won the popular vote. He won the Electoral College vote. He won all the swing states. He increased in practically every demographic. And you got people coming on the airwaves.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, it really wasn't a referendum against.

[Unknown Speaker]

The Democratic Party, because you know what?

[Stephen A. Smith]

He didn't get 50% of the vote. He didn't get 50% of the popular vote.

[Unknown Speaker]

Really? They got the White House. The House and the Senate. I was speaking macro. I was just saying, hey, yet another thing that they can point to, to stake some claim to how they've been victimized by the hands of the left. Are they probably lying, some of them? Yeah, sure. But what are the Democrats doing? The Democrats, they're for the working class. They're for the working class. They're for the working class. Well, the working class doesn't feel that way. Then after the election, we're hearing some Democrats go out there and they're talking about how too many people in the party are about catering to the elite. Well, that's what they were accusing the Republicans of doing. You see how confusing it gets? Not for you, Roland. You might know. What about your million and a half subscribers? They know. What about your boys? They know. What about people that walk through the streets throughout America because you roaming around all over the damn place? They know. If they know so much, Roland, why were you determined for Trump's lies not to be heard? If they know so much, Roland, because they listening to you. Why were you so fixated on standing right there in the audience? And whenever Trump spoke, you came on this show and you said you were going to stand up and scream lies. If they know, because they listening to you and other folks who think like.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You and know what you know, then.

[Unknown Speaker]

You wouldn't have to worry about doing that because they would have consumed your message and they would know he's lying, wouldn't they?

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know better. And you know that most people are frustrated citizens who vote, who are mindful of the times that we're Living in and want finite definitive evidence about which side is right and which side is wrong with no convolution in the equation.

[Unknown Speaker]

And when reports like the DOJ comes out, talking about the FBI on January.

[Stephen A. Smith]

6Th and parsing words like they weren't.

[Unknown Speaker]

Intentionally inaccurate, well, why the hell add the word intentionally? You were accurate or you were inaccurate. Where the hell intentional comes from? That's a perception. That's an opinion. That's not a fact. That's a report that said they weren't intentionally inaccurate. How can you prove somebody wasn't intentionally inaccurate? That is a thought. It's just me.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know you know what you're talking about in politics. I know what I'm talking about in sports. I just thought that as two common sense people, we could relate to one another feeling frustrated on either side. See you all the way left, in my opinion. I'm center. I see bullshit on both sides. I know you do, too. Better than me. The difference is you care a lot more about one side. I don't give a shit about either. I just want as close to the truth as I can get to elevate my level of understanding. I am sorry, Roland Martin, if that was such a bad thing, that would get you so riled up that not only did you have to come at me, you had to throw on a cowboy hat to do it. But I liked seeing it on you, bro. It looked good on you, your panel. It is what it is. That's all I got to say about that. I hope I provided some clarity. I was just frustrated at the right having something in their mind to point to the left about again, and the left seemingly slipping up on providing the ammunition because of the timing of the report coming out and whatever potential role they may or may not have played. I just thought it added fodder and fuel to a side that is already kicking the lefts behind right now. That's all. I wasn't trying to be specific. I was just expressing frustration as a conscientious observer, not an expert like you, bro. I know my lane.

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're gonna be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, 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.

[Julie Swerbinks]

What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swerbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swerbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swerbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.