Stephen A's Take: Trump stop messing with OUR Black History, it's America's History.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Stephen A. Smith Show Episode: Stephen A's Take: Trump stop messing with OUR Black History, it's America's History Release Date: April 3, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, co-hosts Stephen A. Smith and his political analyst delve into the contentious topic of former President Donald Trump potentially seeking a third term, the constitutional implications of such a move, and the broader ramifications for American history, particularly Black history. The discussion is both fervent and insightful, addressing the intersection of politics, constitutional law, and societal impacts.

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Donald Trump's Third Term Ambition

The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the alarming notion that Donald Trump is entertaining a run for a third presidential term, despite the 22nd Amendment clearly prohibiting any individual from being elected to the office more than twice.

Notable Quote:

• Donald Trump (02:26): "If you are allowed for some reason to run for a third term, is there a thought that the Democrats could try to run Barack Obama against you?"

Discussion Points:

• The hosts discuss Steve Bannon's initial proposition of a third-term run and Trump's lack of dismissal regarding the idea, emphasizing the constitutional barrier posed by the 22nd Amendment.
• The possibility of nominating Barack Obama as a third-term candidate is explored, highlighting the absurdity and constitutional violations inherent in such a scenario.

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Constitutional Violations and Republican Strategies

The conversation shifts to the broader implications of a third-term run, focusing on the Republicans' adherence—or lack thereof—to constitutional principles. The hosts critique the Republican Party's strategy of potentially bypassing constitutional limits to maintain power.

Notable Quotes:

• Political Commentator (03:07): "What he said was appalling. He'd entertain running for a third term. He's not ruling it out. It's inexcusable stuff."
• Political Analyst (04:23): "Who religiously preach to us about the Constitution."

Discussion Points:

• The inconsistency of Republicans championing the Constitution while simultaneously entertaining unconstitutional actions.
• References to legal analysts like Ellie Honing from CNN, who assert the unlikelihood of a successful third-term run, reinforcing the argument against such political maneuvers.

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Impact on Black History and Societal Implications

A critical portion of the episode addresses how the Republican Party's actions, particularly under Trump's leadership, threaten the preservation of Black history and, by extension, American history. The hosts emphasize the danger of erasing significant historical narratives that are integral to understanding and progressing society.

Notable Quotes:

• Political Commentator (11:44): "Y'all on the verge of blowing the support you mustered during election time."
• Political Analyst (12:19): "How dare you try to say we're not gonna give you access or we're going to deny or compromise access to historical facts that can't be disputed just because you think it's anti-American."

Discussion Points:

• The potential Republican push to limit access to African American history, including sensitive topics like slavery, Jim Crow laws, and civil rights legislation.
• The historical precedent of denying essential rights and recognition to minorities and women, drawing parallels to current political threats.
• The urgent warning that such actions will lead to significant backlash in upcoming elections, damaging Republican support across various demographics.

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Future Political Landscape and Candidate Speculation

Looking ahead, the hosts speculate on potential Republican candidates who could challenge the party's current trajectory, diverging from Trump's influence.

Notable Quotes:

• Political Commentator (10:30): "I think Marco Rubio qualifies as bullpen material. I think Marco Rubio could be the next president of The United States in 2028."
• Political Analyst (10:46): "I think J.D. Vance got a chance after I watched him on a debate stage against the Democratic VP, Mr. Walls, out of Minnesota himself."

Discussion Points:

• The possibility of emerging leaders like Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance stepping up as viable alternatives to Trump within the Republican Party.
• The challenges these candidates may face in overcoming Trump's entrenched influence and reshaping the party's image.
• The necessity for the Republican Party to embrace new leadership to reconnect with a broader electorate and address internal inefficiencies.

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Call to Action and Concluding Remarks

The episode concludes with a fervent call to action for Republicans to uphold constitutional values and preserve American history. The hosts underscore the importance of accountability and the potential consequences of continuing on the current path.

Notable Quotes:

• Political Commentator (13:28): "Keep this up, it's gonna cost y'all the midterms, and then all hell is gonna break loose from 2026 to 2028. Mark my words."
• Political Analyst (13:16): "That's where you going back to. Is that what you're threatening to do? Is that what you're attempting to do? It seems that way."

Discussion Points:

• The imperative for the Republican Party to reassess its strategies to avoid electoral losses and societal unrest.
• The critical need to protect and honor Black history as an integral part of America's collective identity.
• A somber reflection on the responsibilities of political leaders in shaping a just and inclusive society.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show delivers a powerful commentary on the intersection of political ambition, constitutional law, and the preservation of Black history within the broader American narrative. The hosts provide a compelling argument against the potential for a third-term run by Donald Trump, emphasizing the constitutional, societal, and historical ramifications such a move would entail. By highlighting the importance of upholding constitutional values and safeguarding critical aspects of American history, the episode serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action for political accountability and integrity.

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Notable Quotes Summary:

• Donald Trump (02:26): Considering a third-term run involving Barack Obama.
• Political Commentator (03:07): Criticizing the idea as unconstitutional and inexcusable.
• Political Analyst (04:23): Pointing out Republicans' inconsistent stance on the Constitution.
• Political Commentator (11:44): Warning Republicans about losing electoral support.
• Political Analyst (12:19): Emphasizing the denial of access to historical facts.
• Political Commentator (10:30): Speculating Marco Rubio as a potential 2028 candidate.
• Political Analyst (10:46): Considering J.D. Vance as another candidate.
• Political Commentator (13:28): Predicting electoral consequences for Republicans.

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the topics covered and the hosts' perspectives on the pressing political issues of the time.

Transcript

[AT&T Representative]

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[MITI Health Representative]

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[Political Commentator]

Let'S get started in the nation's capital and the latest headlines coming out of the White House as we're just about 100 days into the Trump administration. I think it's a little bit over 70 to be exact, but who cares? I appeared on Chris Cuomo's show on News Nation a few weeks ago to address this notion of President Trump running for a third term. The idea was first floated by Trump's former key adviser Steve Bannon on Cuomo's show. Trump failed to dismiss the IDEA despite the 22nd Amendment that says, quote, no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, end quote. So let's say President Trump could run for a third term. That would mean the Democrats could put Barack Obama back on the third ticket. Here's what President Trump said just yesterday when posed that question. Please take a listen to this.

[Donald Trump]

If you are allowed for some reason to run for a third term, is there a thought that the Democrats could try to run Barack Obama against you?

I'd love that.

For his third term.

[Political Commentator]

Boy, I'd love that.

[Donald Trump]

That would, that would be A good one. I'd like that. Now people are asking me to run and there's a whole story about running for a third term. I don't know. I never looked into it. They do say there's a way you can do it, but I don't know about that. But I have not looked into it. I want to do a fantastic job. We have four years, just about, almost close to four years. It's time is flying, but it's still close to four years. And we're getting a lot of credit for having done a great job in the first, almost 100 days.

[Political Commentator]

What he said was appalling. He'd entertain running for a third term. He's not ruling it out. It's inexcusable stuff. And the reason why it's inexcusable is because, as the 22nd Amendment stipulates, the presidency is something that you can only have for two terms. I'm paraphrasing, of course, two terms. That's it. It's an amendment in the United States Constitution. And the reason why I had a problem when Steve Bannon said it weeks ago and Bill O'Reilly summarily dismissed because it's not going to happen. Not going to happen. Let's not forget ELIELI Honing from CNN, the legal analyst who has appeared on this show on many occasions. Ellie Honing, I'm sorry. He's appeared on this show on several occasions, and a man knows what he's talking about. A brilliant, brilliant legal analyst talking about the likelihood of it not happening. What I said then and what I would say now. That's not the point. The point is, why are you talking about something that clearly is in violation of the Constitution of the United States? And I'm not even thinking about Trump on this, on this, on this level. I'm thinking about the Republicans out there. I'm thinking about the conservatives out there.

[Political Analyst]

Who religiously preach to us about the Constitution. Constitution's Constitution. Now, a whole bunch of black folks.

[Political Commentator]

Don'T refer to that quite often because.

[Political Analyst]

We remember the original Constitution labeled us three fifths of a human being.

[Political Commentator]

We didn't like that necessarily. So that's not something that we defer to.

[Political Analyst]

But since you on the right, you.

[Political Commentator]

Being a conservative, religiously referred to the.

[Political Analyst]

Constitution, suddenly it's not applicable because your guy is in office. See, that's the inexcusable nonsense that I.

[Political Commentator]

Got a problem with.

[Political Analyst]

As for him going up against Barack.

[Political Commentator]

Obama, once upon a time I thought Barack Obama would smoke him. I'm not so sure anymore. It was Barack Obama that spoke on behalf of Kamala Harris. Michelle Obama certainly put forth her due diligence in doing the same. Where did that get them? They lost the popular vote, lost the Electoral College vote, lost every swing state, lost the Senate, lost the House. I mean, damn, it's. Ls all over the place now. Barack Obama will always be my president. I voted for the man, love the man, respect the man. But we have an obligation to be honest here.

[Political Analyst]

The numbers and the facts have shown.

[Political Commentator]

That while Obama himself has been popular.

[Political Analyst]

All of these years, his policies may not be because judicial seats, congressional seats, Senate seats, gubernatorial seats, all else all.

[Political Commentator]

Over the place when it came to Democrats during his administration from 2009 to 2016.

[Political Analyst]

Look at the numbers, look at the drop off. Look at the number that was there when he arrived, and look at the numbers of judicial seats, gubernatorial seats, congressional seats, Senate seats when he departed. It's inescapable. There's no way around that. That is factual evidence that while he.

[Political Commentator]

Is popular and very much liked and resonate with a vast majority of American.

[Political Analyst]

Citizens out there, black, white, Latino, and everything in between.

[Political Commentator]

It doesn't necessarily resonate with others as it pertains to his policies, or at least the people who he supports who co sign on his policies, because those people, they can't stay in office.

[Political Analyst]

So now it'd be interesting if Barack.

[Political Commentator]

Obama could get a third term and decided to run again and Donald Trump and him wanted to run up against one another. I'm not gonna lie about that. But it wouldn't be the Falcon conclusion it once was. That is what we have to get to there.

[Political Analyst]

But the only reason I bring this.

[Political Commentator]

Up, it doesn't matter whether it's likely or not. It doesn't matter that it's unlikely in the eyes of many.

[Political Analyst]

The fact that you would talk about.

[Political Commentator]

Circumventing the Constitution is problematic. Now. There's people like Bill O'Reilly and others who say it's an evasive measure by.

[Political Analyst]

Trump, it's an opportunity to create a mirage so we can pay attention to that instead of the real issues that are going on.

[Political Commentator]

Well, let me not be one of those people that fall victim and pray to that. Let me bring up a name like Kilmar Armado Abrego Garcia, remember him? He's the Salvadorian based in Maryland who.

[Political Analyst]

Was snatched up by the government ice.

[Political Commentator]

I believe, ultimately deported because they were saying he didn't belong in the country.

[Political Analyst]

He wasn't a citizen, his wife's a citizen. They were saying he wasn't eligible to be here, when in fact, they had.

[Political Commentator]

To ultimately admit there was a mistake.

[Political Analyst]

In court records because indeed, he does belong here. But they said, oh, no, what can we do about it now?

[Political Commentator]

We can't get him back. What the hell you mean you can't get him back? Because you deported him to El Salvador.

[Political Analyst]

And now you can't get him back. And so now the excuse is, well.

[Political Commentator]

He was a gang member.

[Political Analyst]

He's a member of Ms. 13, and this is the kind of stuff that they're saying to justify that you really shouldn't want him back here anyway.

[Political Commentator]

So what's the big deal? Once again, we're missing the point. We're a nation of laws. How many times have we said that? How many times have we heard both sides say that? And if we are a nation of laws, then you don't get to summarily dismiss your willingness to break the law or your incompetence in breaking the law.

[Political Analyst]

If we gonna call it, let's call it. We got so many people in this country. It's about this guy. It's about that man who's the 47th president of the United States, the banners.

[Political Commentator]

Of the world and others.

[Political Analyst]

You want him so bad, you got to co sign everything. You gotta be puppeteers. You gotta parrot his speeches. You gotta do everything. What's wrong with saying he's wrong? The election's over. You can't just say he's wrong. You can't just say he could do better. You can't just say there should be this level of incompetence where we've got national security figures mistakenly texting war material and war plans to journalists. You can't just flat out say that is an inexcusable act. There is no excuse for it. You gotta let hegseth and walls and everybody but Marco Rubio look in our face and lie about the blatant incompetence that is that has been exercised. And the Republicans want to sit up there and point the finger at the Democrats. I'll get to the Democrats in a second. Right now we're talking about y'all. What you going to do about that? I mean, is it really that bad? Are y'all just that stuck and addicted to this dude? Or are you scared that he's the.

[Political Commentator]

Only one that can resonate with the American people? Because, like the Democrats, you don't feel you have a bullpen? I think Marco Rubio qualifies as bullpen material. I think Marco Rubio could be the next president of The United States in 2028.

[Political Analyst]

I think J.D.

[Political Commentator]

Vance got a chance after I watched him on a debate stage against the Democratic VP, Mr. Walls, out of Minnesota himself.

[Political Analyst]

I think you got a couple of cats that you could look at, but evidently y'all don't. Because if Trump passes gas, y'all will say it's perfume. What the hell? You scared? You can't disagree with anything. You can't say, he. He did this wrong. He's gotta do better. This mistake can't happen.

[Political Commentator]

That's ridiculous. It really, really is. And let me make this warning to the Republicans out there, particularly in the aftermath of Trump with the Smithsonian. And, you know, you want to sit up there and eliminate access to African American material, the history of African Americans, particularly as it pertains to slavery, Jim Crow laws, civil rights legislation, et cetera.

[Political Analyst]

Let me be very, very clear.

[Political Commentator]

Y'all on the verge of blowing the support you mustered during election time. It ain't going to be just farmers all of a sudden saying, yo, Trump, I thought you made us these promises. How are you doing? These tariffs, this is hurting us. This is harming us. This is compromises. It ain't gonna be just them that's gonna get all up in y'all. It ain't gonna be just Democrats. It's gonna be minorities in this country. How dare you try to eradicate history. How dare you try to eliminate what happened to us.

[Political Analyst]

How dare you try to say we're not gonna give you access or we're.

[Political Commentator]

Going to deny or compromise access to.

[Political Analyst]

Historical facts that can't be disputed just.

[Political Commentator]

Because you think it's anti American.

[Political Analyst]

I thought it was a part of America.

[Political Commentator]

You did this before, you know, as a nation, for many years, civil rights legislation that came into effect that was obviously denied to African Americans in this country before you ultimately relented. Voting Rights Act. That was denied as well. Women's right to vote. That was denied as well. There were so many denials on the part of the white power structure in the United States of America for so many years, not only to its own women, but to minorities in this country.

[Political Analyst]

That's where you going back to. Is that what you're threatening to do? Is that what you're attempting to do? It seems that way.

[Political Commentator]

It seems that way. Keep this up, it's gonna cost y'all the midterms, and then all hell is gonna break loose from 2026 to 2028. Mark my words.

[AT&T Representative]

AT&T has a new guarantee, because most things in life are not guaranteed, like getting through self checkout by yourself. Not guaranteed In a world where Nothing is guaranteed, AT&T is bringing something new to the table. AT&T is introducing a guarantee with connectivity you can depend on deals you want and service you deserve or they make it right. Learn [e-mail] guarantee@ connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.com guarantee for details.

[MITI Health Representative]

It's true that some things change as we get older. But if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain, you don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MIDI health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MITI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause, and MITI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of midi patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual visit today at joinmidi.

[Political Commentator]

Com.

[MITI Health Representative]

That's joinmidi.

[Political Commentator]

Com.