THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS; ROBERT COSTA; WESLEY HUNT

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show (SiriusXM)

Episode: "The State of the Union Address; Robert Costa; Wesley Hunt"
Date: February 26, 2026
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Guests: Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX), Robert Costa (CBS News)

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

Stephen A. Smith delivers a wide-ranging, high-energy post-mortem on President Trump's latest State of the Union address. With a mix of sharp critique, humor, and “real talk,” Stephen A. moves beyond sports to dissect U.S. politics and the deep polarization exemplified by the events on Capitol Hill. Joined by Texas Congressman and Senate candidate Wesley Hunt and CBS analyst Robert Costa, Stephen A. scrutinizes the speech, the reactions from both parties, and the prospects for American politics. The episode features listener calls, candid exchanges, and memorable moments, foregrounding the challenges and dysfunction that currently define U.S. governance.

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MAIN THEMES

• The chaotic spectacle and polarized optics of Trump’s State of the Union 2026
• Democrats’ and Republicans’ tactical responses and missteps
• The persistent breakdown in civility and decorum on Capitol Hill
• Guest insights: Rep. Wesley Hunt on immigration, race, and the Senate race; Robert Costa on the evolution of the State of the Union and media challenges
• The gulf between politics as theater and the real economic/social concerns of American citizens
• Listener perspectives on political division, leadership voids, and media narratives

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DETAILED SUMMARY & KEY SEGMENTS

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1. Stephen A.’s Opening Monologue: The State of the Union "Sh*t Show"

Timestamp: 00:30 – 15:46

Key Points:

• Opens by asking, “How do you feel about being an American today? How do you feel about our politics today?”
• Reaction to Trump’s speech: "Let me tell you what my description of last night was. It was a sh*t show." (02:36)
• Frustration at the increasing sense of hopelessness, confusion, and disgust prompted by U.S. politics
• Criticism of both parties for extreme polarization and lack of decorum
• Highlights Trump’s “we’re winning big” rhetoric as tone-deaf to economic realities

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen A.: "It's a bad, bad place for our country to be...there’s simply no way to slice it." (02:56)
• On Capitol Hill: "I cannot tell you it was embarrassing to see us as a nation with our politicians on Capitol Hill looking the way they looked, sounding the way they sounded..." (03:54)

2. Dissecting Trump’s Rhetoric and Political Tactics

Timestamp: 04:53 – 15:46

Key Points:

• Plays clips of Trump: “People are asking me, please, please, please, Mr. President, we're winning too much. We can't take it anymore.” (04:53)
• Skepticism toward Trump’s economic boasts and claims about tariffs
• Examines Trump’s State of the Union as a set-up: baits Democrats into unfavorable optics

Notable Moments:

• On Democrats’ Response: “None of the Democrats stood up. Zero. No one. The cameras are rolling knowing that the optics be what they are.” (08:56)
• Stephen A.: "That is a reminder of what lost them the election in 2024." (09:10)

Polls Highlighted:

• 52% Trump disapproval among independents
• 64% view Trump as out of touch

3. The Bait and the Fallout: Democrats and Optics

Timestamp: 08:19 – 15:46

Key Points:

• Trump uses performative questions ("The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.") to set traps for Democrats
• Democrats’ refusal to engage gives GOP ammunition for campaign ads
• Stephen A. berates Democrats: "Stop falling for the bait. You’re playing right into his hands..." (13:36)

4. Riff: James Carville Goes Off – and Stephen A.’s Response

Timestamp: 15:46 – 21:32

Key Points:

• Plays Carville’s vulgar rant against Trump (“People hate you...you fat sorry sack of sh*t…”)
• Smith’s perspective: It doesn’t matter if Trump is liked or not; 77 million still voted for him despite a criminal record
• Emphasizes: “[Voters] care about...their own homes, their own mortgages, their own bills, their own gas prices, their own job security, their own retirement, their own health care. That's what they care about.” (20:18)

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5. FEATURE INTERVIEW: Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX)

Timestamp: 25:00 – 48:33

Background:

Wesley Hunt—West Point grad, Army veteran, Black Republican—running for U.S. Senate in TX.

Highlights & Key Insights:

On Valor and Patriotism:

• Praises Medal of Honor recipients recognized at SOTU, connects personally as a military vet.

On Trump’s Tactics and Capitol Culture:

• Admits Trump “baited a lot of the Democrats into very basic questions” (25:24)
• Says refusal to stand up for “America first” signals “you hate him more than you love this country.” (27:21)
• Asserts: “It’s not as vitriolic [behind closed doors] as you might think,” but social media has made politics “the attitude era.” (28:07)

On Race & the GOP:

• Slams Gavin Newsom’s 960 SAT remarks: “Soft bigotry of low expectations.”
• "I earned three master’s degrees in four years from Cornell... We are not the same. And you have to understand why that's insulting to people like me." (32:44)

On Voter ID and Republican outreach:

• "The most racist thing that I've...seen...is the insinuation that black people are too stupid to get an ID to vote. ...That has nothing to do with race. ...It's about, are you an American and do you bleed red or not?" (34:41)

On Senate run and Party Politics:

• Refers to the Senate as “not a retirement community.” Critiques John Cornyn as outdated, says Texas GOP establishment is fighting him harder than Democrats (36:55)
• Dismisses attacks about missing House votes; frames it as a reality of campaigning.

On Trump’s Controversial Social Media (Apes/Obamas Video):

• Defends Trump: "President Trump is not a racist. ...I take him for his word. He said it was a mistake by a staffer. I moved on." (41:06)
• Stephen A. pushes back, asks about accountability for staff.

On Election Integrity:

• Hunt supports Trump’s fraud narrative: "When you have to ask these people rather or not they stand for the safety of this country or not...it's actually a relatively fair assessment." (43:08)
• But expresses hope for future civility: "I do want to see us become more collaborative." (43:44)

Notable Quotable:

• Hunt: "I would love to see...the way I view America and the way I view the world on stage with the juxtaposition of the way Jasmine [Crockett] views this world. ...We both been black the whole time. We are...members of two very different parties..." (45:32)

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6. FEATURE INTERVIEW: Robert Costa (CBS News)

Timestamp: 54:07 – 72:25

State of the Union as Theater

• Costa: “It’s kind of an evolution...the Constitution only says the president should update Congress...Presidents have used it to reflect their own personality. And last night certainly did that with President Trump.” (54:34)
• Trump weaponizes the SOTU event to define Democrats through confrontation.

On Alternative Democratic Responses

• Democrats’ counter-events (“State of the Swamp”) designed to rally the base, but risk being seen as unserious by swing voters.
• Some Democrats (e.g., Sen. Fetterman) skip theatrics: “Any president...deserves courtesy and respect.” (56:47)

On Decorum Breakdown

• Past outbursts (“You Lie!”) would dominate news cycles, now are “par for the course.” (57:58)

On Media Access and Trump

• “President Trump’s accessible...he comes out of a media environment...This is the language of the press.” (61:20)
• “It's important for the reporters...to focus on the work, to not get embroiled and sucked into some kind of debate about the press.” (62:44)
• Factchecking as a political act: “My approach as a reporter is to take people and their ideas seriously...but when they do raise questions about their conduct or...have to hold them accountable, do it in a way that's vigorous but not opinionated.” (63:48)

Congressional Paralysis & Partisan Warfare

• The State of the Union is “driven solely by the executive.” Congress has become a diminished institution (67:00)
• “It’s going to take leadership for big deals to get done...There hasn’t been a real big deal in Washington in a long time.” (69:35)
• On prospects for bipartisanship: “It’s difficult because...to win that primary for the House or Senate, you have to keep the base with you...It became about keeping your seat in a primary race versus cutting a deal in Washington.” (68:37)
• The prospects for midterms: “This is a real battle. It could be very tight. The House is already very tight. No guarantees ahead of November.” (71:01)

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7. LISTENER CALLS AND CLOSING

Timestamp: 74:03 – End

Representative Topics & Insights

• The two-party system breeds polarization; calls for centrism and compromise.
• Multiple listeners express frustration at political division and partisanship.
• Stephen A. repeatedly stresses the need for “facts and fairness” to overcome tribalism and emotion.
• Explains nuance in policy beliefs, e.g., his own splits on abortion and LGBTQ rights: “Facts and fairness. That has to usurp feelings.” (77:12)

On “America First” and Historical Baggage

• Caller Tom from Florida claims the slogan is rooted in KKK dog-whistles. Stephen A. thanks him for the historic info and discusses optics versus intent.
• Stephen A.: “We can't count the amount of times I've criticized Trump...The difference between me and people who feel like you [do], Tom? Everything we say must be completely resistant to anything that he says or does…”

On Democracy and Leadership

• Multiple listeners call for Stephen A. to run for office; he declines but emphasizes the need for truth-tellers and bridge-builders.
• On performative politics: “All of these politicians are there for the money. They're not there for the people. And they perform on a daily basis. That's it.” (101:11 – Caller Robert in Georgia)

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MEMORABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES

• Stephen A.: “Stop falling for the bait. You’re playing right into his hands and you won't listen.” (13:36)
• Rep. Hunt (on race): “I am being judged not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my character…under no circumstances are you going to just belittle us by assuming that all black people have a 960 SAT and we could barely read.” (33:11)
• Stephen A. (on objectivity): “It ain't my job to take a side. It's my job to show you what the hell is going on from my perspective and my vantage point.” (87:58)
• Costa (on Congress): “Congress, in their view, is now so diminished in American public life...they see it as kind of a body of people that goes on television once in a while and follows the president blindly...” (67:00)

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TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• 00:30 – Stephen A.’s opening, SOTU reaction
• 04:53 – Trump’s "winning big" audio and commentary
• 08:23 – Trump’s immigration “bait” and Democrats’ optics
• 15:46 – Carville rant and Stephen A. critiques
• 25:00 – Rep. Wesley Hunt interview
• 32:08 – Hunt discusses Gavin Newsom and “soft bigotry”
• 36:55 – Hunt on Texas Senate race, GOP infighting
• 41:06 – Hunt on Trump/Obamas “apes” video
• 43:08 – Hunt on election integrity and collaboration
• 54:07 – Robert Costa interview begins
• 63:48 – Costa on maintaining journalistic objectivity
• 67:00 – Costa on the weakening of Congress
• 68:37 – Costa on lack of bipartisanship in Washington
• 74:03 – Listener calls and closing hour

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CONCLUSION

This episode serves as a blistering, insightful, and at times unfiltered analysis of modern American politics at its most combative and dysfunctional, as seen through the prism of the State of the Union Address. Stephen A. Smith stands out as a passionate, centrist voice—calling out partisanship, demanding facts and fairness, pushing both parties and the media for accountability. Guests Rep. Wesley Hunt and Robert Costa add deep firsthand knowledge of the modern political landscape, while the active listener segment proves Americans are keenly engaged—and frustrated—by the widening chasm between their leaders and their lives.

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For listeners seeking a candid, no-spin breakdown of political spectacle and substance, this episode is essential—and, true to its title, very straight-shooting.

Transcript

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[Stephen A. Smith]

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[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Okay.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Or you can look at it from the bad side, where he simply talk about being blind economically when he sat up there and he's talking about, you know, affordability being some word like, the American people don't know about their own damn wallets. They don't know how to define what's expensive and what's affordable for them and what is not. To the decorum deficit that flagrantly plagues our politics in this nation. I mean, I cannot tell you it was embarrassing to see us as a nation without politicians on Capitol Hill looking the way they looked, sounding the way they sounded, going at one another, the way they were going after one another. I don't know about the rest of y', all, but it's a hopeless feeling. It's a hopeless feeling. And when people talk about me and they sit up there and they talk, oh, man, you should run for president, whatever. You're sure? Because I'm telling you right now, my pastor would be ashamed of me because I'd be cussing people out left and right. I mean, this is just ridiculous. It really, really is. Now, I know Trump started out talking about, we're winning big, we're winning big, we're winning big. Let's hear from the president right here. Because he's winning big, ladies and gentlemen, very big. Very big. Very big. Listen to the president right here. Let's hear this.

[Donald J. Trump]

People are asking me, please, please, please, Mr. President, we're winning too much. We can't take it anymore. We're not used to winning in our country.

[Robert Costa]

We.

[Donald J. Trump]

Until you came along with just always losing. But now we're winning too much. And I say, no, no, no, you're going to win again. You're going to win big. You're going to win bigger than ever.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So what am I missing? Affordability is not an issue. Price of gas, price of eggs, home sales, home buyers just making it up, huh? We're not feeling those things. We're not going through those things as a nation. We're not. They're not going to. We're winning so big. Oh, my goodness. I can't take it anymore. Can't take it anymore. We're winning so big. This polarization in the streets. We're winning big, huh? I know he's winning big because every deal that gets made, particularly with foreign allies or beyond, somehow some way, his pockets get padded. But that's neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is, is that he just seemed tone deaf when he said that. But guess what? It didn't stop there because he talked about winning on tariffs, too. Listen to this.

[Donald J. Trump]

One of the primary reasons for our country's stunning economic turnaround, the biggest in history, where the Dow Jones broke 50,000 four years ahead of schedule and the S and P hit 7,000, where it wasn't supposed to do it for many years, were tariffs. I used these tariffs, took in hundreds of billions of dollars to make great deals for our country both economically and on a national security basis. Everything was working well. Countries that were ripping us off for decades are now paying us hundreds of billions of dollars. They were ripping us so badly. You all know that. Everybody knows it. Even the Democrats know it. They just don't want to say it. And yet these countries are now happy. And so are we. We made deals, the deals are all done and they're happy. They're not making money like they used to, but we're making a lot of money. There was no inflation, tremendous growth. And the big story was how Donald Trump called the economy correctly and 22 Nobel Prize winners in economics didn't. They got it totally wrong.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yet the Supreme Court ruled against him on continuing to impose the tariffs. So much so that he said not only that it was an unfortunate decision on the part of the Supreme Court, but no worry about it. We'll work around it and we'll do it without them anyway. But that's something to be excited about, huh? But the steam just kept elevating, just kept fomenting as time went on with that long ass State of the Union address that he gave. Okay, clearly because he didn't want the Democrats giving their response in primetime hours. All right? But nevertheless, it happened. And where really, really took a turn for the worst, as far as I'm concerned, was when Trump played the Democrats, pulled the Okie doke on them, played them like a fiddle. And the Democrats fell for it hook, line and sinker. Listen to this and watch this. When Trump asked a question about whether or not they're going to protect.

[Donald J. Trump]

Chair.

[Stephen A. Smith]

If you agree to protect from illegal aliens. Listen to this sound, please.

[Donald J. Trump]

One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe. So tonight I'm inviting every legislature to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Everybody on the right stood up. None of the Democrats stood up. Zero. No one. The cameras are rolling knowing that the optics be what they are. Because again, if you consider the question that he asked about putting America first and American citizens first, he didn't sit up there and say white Americans or black Americans. He said Americans, meaning that if you're an American citizen, no matter what, you could be of African American descent, you could be of Hispanic descent, you could be of white descent. It doesn't matter. The fact that he said America before everybody else and the Democrats didn't stand up is a reminder of what lost them the election in 2024. And see, this is where I get off. Because I'm not rooting against the Democrats. I'm rooting for them. I like balancing our politics. I don't want one party rule. I don't want the Democrats or the Republicans dominating the White House, the Senate and the House. I want you to have to negotiate. I want you to have to work together. I want you to have to compromise so you can assuage the concerns of the American people. And it isn't chaos and mayhem in the streets. That's what I want. But there's no way that's going to happen. Because after the Democrats refuse to stand up in their defiance against this president that they obviously hate, with Representative Ilhan Omar screaming about how he killed Americans and along with others from the squad, Trump sat up there and piggybacked right off of his initial statement and then said this when he talked about how they should be ashamed of themselves. Listen to this.

[Donald J. Trump]

You should be ashamed of yourself. Not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself. That is why I'm also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens, in many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country. They're blocking the removal of these people out of our country. And you should be ashamed of yourself.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Tell me why in God's name should any Democratic voter out there believe for one second that These politicians who represent folks on the left are going to be able to get anything done, anything. Because the hatred is so palpable between both sides. There's not gonna be any working together. You would think that they would recognize that Trump's a little bit on the ropes. Here he is talking, and immediately in the aftermath of the State of the Union address, federal judge rules Trump administration may not remove individuals to third country without due process. All over the place. Every time you turn around, there's a court case he's losing. You would think folks would sense the momentum and not take the bait and not incriminate themselves by engaging in a level of belligerence that's only going to serve to appease him, giving him ammunition to utilize, giving the GOP ammunition to utilize against the Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson was on Sean Hannity show last night in the immediate aftermath of the State of the Union address, smiling ear to ear, talking about how the GOP was definitely going to use Ilhan Omar, screaming at the president and the Democrats refusing to stand up when they had that question posed to them by Trump. Purposefully, I might add. They're going to use it as a campaign tool. I mean, you can't see it coming. You can't understand the importance of prepping yourself and preparing yourself not to fall for the Okie doke. And then you wonder why people like me get pissed off. Independents who are moderates, who usually vote left, and we're saying time and time and time and time again, stop falling for the bait. You're playing right into his hands and you won't listen. You won't listen. And then it's us. It's us that's against y'. All. We not down for democracy. We're not down for what's right. We're not down for the Democratic Party. You're not looking at the fact that you're not giving us to care about. You're not giving us enough to support because you keep falling for the same old, same old every single time. When are you going to learn Trump is falling in the polls? Grif, do we have those numbers? Trump's popularity or lack thereof? I mean, please show that to me because, you know, 52% disapproval rating. Trumps disapproval is growing amongst independents who believe he's gotten worse on the economy since his inauguration. What else do we have here? That ain't the only number we've got. Show me the next one. 64% Trump's disapproval growing. 64% American to say they think Trump is out of touch. With the concerns of most people, no matter what they say. You got another poll to show me? Because I'm all ears and I'm watching. But the point that I'm trying to make is I don't need it. Because regardless of what he says he's doing, no matter how much he bloviates, the fact is he and the affluent amongst us might be reaping the benefits of deals he's making all over the world, but America hasn't as of yet. Not in our eyes. The tariffs have compromised businesses across this nation, particularly in agriculture. It's hard to move forward in a send with so much uncertainty. Nevertheless, it's still out there. And instead of chilling and being patient and not coming across as truculent and acerbic and just as juvenile as he can be in calling the Democrats crazy and being disrespectful to them,

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

We have

[Stephen A. Smith]

stuff like this from Democratic strategist extraordinaire James Carville. Used to work, used to do work for Obama and has been connected to the Democratic Party for decades. Who I respect the hell out of and knows what he's doing. But does he seem a bit off the rails right now? Judge for yourself. I have a personal message for Donald John Trump. And you sit still, you son of a bitch, when I'm telling you this. I'm gonna tell you right where you are, you fat sorry sack of shit. People hate you. Now let me give you. And I'm not just saying this because I don't like you. I'm saying this because I'm telling you what's happening to you, right? And get ready to tell you what's going on. First of all, everybody is stabbing you in the back. You can trust no one. I saw the story today. Where, of course, the Pentagon. Because your boy Pete, he can't control shit. Okay? Was already back leaking that General Kane told you about all the dangers in bombing Iran because why are they doing that? Because they hate you. And they're going to leak and they can talk to the New York Times and they can talk to everybody else. Just like your own staff, right? Susie Wiles, she hates you, that's evident. Sherry already told you that. They all leaking like crazy. They all wonder if it was going to happen the next job. They don't give a shit about you, okay? They really don't. No, you can't trust anyone. Trust no one. Okay, maybe Stephen Miller. Oh, my God. I'll give you that one. Do we have to listen to any more of this? Cut this off the Congress, they can't stand. You see, ladies and gentlemen, I respect the work that James Carville has done over the years. Respectfully, sir, who gives a damn whether they like him or not? You think Donald Trump cares? You think he's in this to be liked? The likelihood is he ain't gonna circumvent the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution. He's not running for a third term. This is it. You think he cares? Who do you think is affected when we see Representative Omar screaming at him the way that she has? When you see James Carville going off the way that he does, ladies and gentlemen, I'm not knocking them, I'm not denigrating them. Please don't take it that way. I'm saying, when are you going to get committed to what works? It's not going to work. You want me to tell you how I know it's not going to work? You sit up there and say people hate you, people hate you. Well, 77 million people didn't hate him enough not to vote for him. That was after he was tried and convicted with 34 felonies. That was after he was impeached twice. You think that the American people, primarily independents out there like myself, who is looking for a reason to support you? Possibly. You think it moves us? You think it moves his base, you think it moves people on the right? When you're sitting there, you're talking about people hate them, people can't stand them. But 77 million people voted for him. He was a convicted felon, according to you. You know what he is to them? The President of the United States. Oh, by the way, something he pulled off after he was convicted. I'm trying to figure out why people still calling him a convicted felon. Clearly they believe it was politicized. Clearly they don't care. Clearly they're more concerned about their own homes, their own mortgages, their own bills, their own gas prices, their own job security, their own retirement, their own health care. That's what they care about. They don't give a damn whether they like them or not. When are we going to get that? What the hell is wrong with people? I cannot believe this. Donald Trump, when he asked a question about cheering and asking about protecting American citizens and prioritizing them ahead of migrants, he set you up. He knew you weren't going to stand. He knew 73 of y' all were going to show up to other places and not show up to the State of the Union. He knew that a lot of Americans that were moderates on both sides of the aisle were going to look at y' all as being every bit as out of control as you claim he is. The difference is, is that he takes those positions and the heat that comes with it. As the incumbent, the president in office, You couldn't keep him out. And he's making the claim that you hate him so much. You're devoid of objectivity and you're devoid of thinking about what's in the best interest of the United States of America because you're too busy thinking about your own personal feelings and animals towards him. And every time you do that,

[Donald J. Trump]

he

[Stephen A. Smith]

smiles and mocks you and has a field day. You played right into his hand. Don't come back at me and say, f Stephen A. Smith or Stephen A. Smith is selling out or Stephen A. Smith is this way or that way. I'm just telling you what it is. Don't kill a messenger. Shape the message in a fashion that benefits you for once. The man has been playing y' all like a fiddle for 11 years now and you still can't beat him. Damn. You keep falling right into his hands. And it's a damn shame. It truly, truly is 866-967-6887 is the number 86696 POTUS. I've been looking forward to talking to my next guest quite a long time. I've watched him from afar. I respect this man, where he comes from. Very knowledgeable, very passionate. Republican out of Texas, Representative Wesley Hunt. Been waiting to talk to him for a long time. Anxious to hear what he has to say on a few matters. His first appearance on Straight Shooting with yours truly. I can't wait for this. I don't think you should either. Until now, that is. Don't go away. We'll be right back. With Wesley Hunt out of Texas, right here on Straight Shooting with Stephen A. More coming your way in a minute.

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[Stephen A. Smith]

Imagine relying on a dozen different software programs to run your business, none of which are connected, and each one more expensive and more complicated than the last. It can be pretty stressful. Now imagine Odoo Odoo has all the programs you'll ever need and are all connected on one platform. Doesn't Odoo sound amazing? Let Odoo harmonize your business with simple, efficient software that can handle everything for a fraction of the price. Sign up [e-mail]. that's O-O-O.com. 28 minutes past hour number one back here on Straight Shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. Over the airways of SiriusXM POTUS radio, channel 124. It is my honor and privilege to have my next guest. I've waited a long time to talk to this man. He's a very, very busy man. But boy, kid, I. I'm excited to talk to this man. A graduate of West Point, served eight years in the army as an Apache helicopter pilot, including 55 combat missions in Iraq and of course, two tours in Saudi Arabia. He is a representative out of the 38th congressional district in Texas. He is the one and only representative. Wesley Hunt, my man. How are you, man? Great to meet you. It's great to talk to you. How you doing?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

The pleasure is all mine. It's an honor to be on. Thank you for having me on. STEPHEN A. I really appreciate this, brother, more than you know. Thank you for having me on.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Absolutely, man. Please. I couldn't wait to talk to you. So you saw the State of the Union last night?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Yes, I did.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What did you walk away. What did you walk away feeling after watching the President's State of the Union and the interaction obviously, between the Republicans and the Democrats, mainly him and the Democrats in attendance? Your thoughts?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

That's a great question. Well, I want to start off by saying this. The gentleman that got the Medal of Honor for flying that mission down south was something that really resonates with me. You know, I'm an Apache helicopter pilot. I flew a lot. I flew a lot of those missions in Baghdad. 55, as you stated. And the heroism that we saw from that gentleman and the fact that he was honored, honored with the highest honor that the military can offer a soldier is something that really warmed my heart. I also like seeing the other Medal of Honor that was given to the other veteran as well. That's this. That. That's the kind of service and sacrifice that it takes to really preserve our values and our way of life in this great nation. So that. So, for starters, as a military man, as a guy that my brother, sister and I all went to West Point, my dad is a retired lieutenant colonel in the military. Obviously, the military runs strong in my family. 60 years worth of military service. So to see the acknowledgment of that kind of valor is something that will always hit home with someone like me. To talk about the interaction between President Trump, though, and how he basically baited a lot of the Democrats into very basic questions here. I mean, do you believe in a sovereign nation or not? Do you believe in the safety of Americans or not? Do you believe in the fact that President Trump got reelected because roughly 20 million people entered this country illegally and we had no idea who they were? You talk about me being a diplomatic liaison officer in Saudi Arabia. Do you know I had to have a diplomatic passport just to enter Saudi Arabian airspace because this country knew exactly who was entering, who was exiting their country? And you mean to tell me that this is America, this is the greatest country in the world, and we have 20 million people that are entering our country, and we don't know who they are? And the idea of trying to keep us safe, they. This is not even a partisan issue. It's a nonpartisan issue. So the interactions that I saw between the president and many of the Democrats, I found to be kind of interesting. And just like you were talking about earlier, brother, you were talking about how he baits people in ways that only he can do. It's a pretty obvious question. Just stand up when it's pro America, regardless of what your party affiliation is. But the fact that you cannot stand up just because President Trump said something really drives the point home of that you hate him more than you love this country.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And the interesting part that. That. That hit me, Representative Hunt, was that Elizabeth Warren stood up when he talked about basically eradicating, you know, you know, what are they talking about when you were stock trading and all of this other stuff on in the nation's capital, you can't have these people, you know, doing that kind of stuff. They stood up for that. But she didn't stand up when he asked that particular question. What is it like for you to be on Capitol Hill in today's day, having to deal with folks on the opposite side of the aisle? Is it really as truculent? Is it really as acerbic as it seems?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

It's not as vitriolic as you might think. Obviously, you see a lot of the political theater that goes on. You see a lot of the jostling back and forth. And I will admit that there is a certain level of civility behind closed doors that nobody really sees. But I will also say that it's gotten more vitriolic over the course of the past few years call this the attitude era of politics. Kind of the attitude era in WWE with Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock and those guys. That's exactly the era that we are living in right now. And a lot of that is because of the rise of social media. It's the rise of a President Trump winning, not winning the next election, then coming back and winning again. Only the second president in the history of the country to ever do that. And so whenever you talk about a lot of our interactions, a lot of it is basically rooted in what we are siloed politically. I mean, I consider myself to be a very strong conservative, and there are certain things that I am not really willing to bend or break on. One of those things for me is I know the difference between a man and a woman. Another one of those things for me is I believe in border security. Strong border security, brother. I'm somebody that is fought for this country. This is not a partisan issue. We know every single person that's entering our country and leaving our country. I am somebody that's for getting rid of, getting rid of a lot of our national debt. We're running a $2 trillion annual deficit. Now, the juxtaposition of how I feel about those things often times is the contrary to my colleagues on the left. And so the thing about the on Capitol Hill that I like the most, though, is this. We are in hearings. I get to speak, they get to speak. We get to go back and forth and back and forth. And at the end of the day, everyone gets to hear everyone's side. But I want people to know this. What you see on tv, what you see in your representation, we are a reflection of America today. And if you want strong leadership and if you want people to stand for your beliefs, well, that's who's actually going to get elected. Now, I also do believe that we have to usher in a time where there is more civility. Right now, brother, it's just too hot. We have people that are getting shot. I have. I have my life threatened multiple times. I've had an increase in security. Just me being on the campaign trail. Everyone needs to train kilo and kind of take down that temperature. But at the end of the day, I'm also an Apache driver. I believe in this country. I believe in fighting for this great nation. No matter what your religion, race, color or creed is, I believe in that. And I think we are going to usher in the next time of more civility. Once the next generation enters the fray,

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm going to get into you and the election that you're in, that you're vi. For as we speak. I'll get into that in just a second. But when you get. Before I do that, when we talk about folks, what's a reflection of the country, rather, I'm going to ask you, in your estimation, is this a reflection of the country when we're talking about Governor Gavin Newsom of California and what. What brouhaha he really. He recently got himself entangled in. Let's watch Governor Gavin Newsom speaking to the mayor of Atlanta, Mayor Dickens, and see what he said and your thoughts about this. Take it away, guys. I'm not, you know, I'm not trying to impress you, just trying to impress upon you. I'm like you. I'm no better than you. You know, I'm a 960 SAT guy. And, you know, and I'm not trying to offend anyone. You know, trying to act all there if you got 940, but literally a 960sat guy, I cannot. You've never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech. Now, me personally, I saw folks on the left, folks who were African American, by the way, Representative Hunt basically saying he was talking to an audience filled with a bunch of white folks. I saw him look at the mirror when he made the statement that he made. I'm not one to knock him, because I can assure you my SAT score in all likelihood was worse than 960 because I was busy running the streets instead of studying. But I wasn't a graduate of Westport. I wasn't as accomplished as you and your siblings were, I can tell you that much. I can feel one way about it. How did you feel about it?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Well, I call it the soft bigotry of low expectations. There are a lot of black men and women that aren't like that. A lot of us really did study hard. We really did work very hard. You see, I had parents that believe in education. We had a sign in our house that said, jesus plus education equals success. There's a reason why my brother's sister and I all went to West Point. There's a reason why I earned three master's degrees in four years from Cornell University. My brother is a Harvard Business School graduate. My sister has her. Has her master's degree in applied mathematics. It was a West Point instructor while both my brother and I were cadets and we were black doing it the entire time. And so when you say that I can't read and I have a 960sat the insinuation that you are putting on all black people is that we are a monolith, is that this is how you view us. This is what you really think about us. And look, I understand some of it may have been a little bit tongue in cheek and he was pandering to an audience, but for whatever reason, I see a lot of pandering that comes from the left. I think about Hillary Clinton carrying hot sauce in her purse. I think about Joe Biden saying, if you don't vote for me, then you ain't black. I think about Kathy Hochul talking about, you know, black kids don't even know what a computer is. And I see these kinds of things and I just shake my head. That is not who we are as a people. Now, Stephen, you talk about you didn't do good on your, on your, on Your, on your SATs, but you have a pretty extensive vocabulary, as I have heard over the years. So clearly you're an astute man and you have studied quite a bit. But that's just it. We are not the same. And you have to understand why that's insulting to people like me. Gavin, you're not like me. I studied my butt off to get here. I worked my butt off to get here. Hard work, grit, determination, and I'm standing on my own two feet as a black man. The that represents a white majority district that President Trump would have won by 20 points, and I won by 25 points because I'm being adjusted not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my character. And there are a lot of conservative white people and black people and Hispanic people that voted for me. But under no circumstances are you going to just belittle us by assuming that all black people have a 960sat and we could barely read.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What do you say to folks on the opposite side of the aisle then the GOP than Republicans that look at Republicans and they say, okay, you can get a Gavin Newsom like that and say those things, but in the same breath, what is the Republican Party? What have conservatives tried to do for the black community spanning decades? Have they ever cared about black folks in this country? How do you, as a conservative who happens to be black, answer such cynicism coming from the other side when they say things like that?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Well, it's very simple, brother. We live in an era where there are no more slaves and are no more slave owners. You see, I live in an era of today. My great, great grandfather was born on a plantation. His name was Silas Crawford. He was Born on Rose down Plantation, about 30 miles north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Three of his great great grandchildren went to West Point. Three of his great great grandchildren served in the military at one point. My brother, sister and I were all deployed in Baghdad at the same time for two months. We had a praying mother and a praying community. One of his great great grandchildren, me, is running for the United States Senate and is surging in the polls against, last I checked, two white guys. Because nobody really cares about what I look like. They care about my service to this nation and who I am as a human being. And let me tell you something, brother, I've done all of this as a conservative. The most racist thing that I've kind of seen over the course of the past few years is this, though it is the insinuation that black people are too stupid to get an ID to vote. You have to have an ID for everything. And Republicans aren't looking at black people or white people or Asian people for Hispanic people. Not at all. They are saying, if you're an American and you are competent, you can figure out how to have a cell phone and an apartment and buy groceries and buy liquor and get on airplanes and buy anything else. I don't care what you look like. You could be on United, you could be on Spirit, you could be on American. At the end of the day, everybody has to have an ID that has nothing to do with race. You see, that is the Republican Party that I am currently coming up in right now. In this phase, this ain't about the color of your skin. It's about, are you an American and do you bleed red or not?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, Representative Hunt, I gotta tell you something. Right now. You ain't got much to worry about with that argument because I just saw the mayor of New York City requiring two IDs for people that want to get money for shoveling snow. So if you can shovel snow, you're damn sure you can get an ID to shovel snow. You're damn sure should be able to require to have an ID to vote. My man, let me get back to you. Let me get back to you on this one right here. Because you're running against a long term. In this race, you're running against a long term incumbent in John Cornyn and a MAGA and a MAGA heavyweight and. And Ken Paxton. What should Texas voters. Why should Texas voters choose you, the third man, at least at the moment, instead of sticking with the established legislative power or the, you know, for, for one of those guys, Paxton or Cornyn,

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

why you it's time for the next generation of leadership to step up. The United States Senate is not a retirement community. John Cornyn has been around for 24. Four years. That is two decades. The first time John Coran got elected to office as a judge, Brother, I was 11 months old. There's a reason why. There's a reason why our Vice President is 41 years old. Our Secretary of State's in his early 50s. Our Secretary of War is in his mid-50s. Tulsi Gabard is in. Is in. Is in his mid-40s. Tulsi Gabard is In her mid-40s. Because it's time for that bridge, that upper end of the. Of. Of the millennial spectrum to actually get in and make sure that we have the same values that the older generation passes down to the next generation. At the end of the day, the United States Senate is not a retirement community. And John Cornyn has now spent what will be $100 million in this race to be polling in the 20s. And we are surging. And what I've discovered is this. As I got in this race, I thought I would be fighting against Democrats. I'm actually fighting against my own party leadership and establishment has spent tens of millions of dollars hitting me in my own state, participating slf, the nrsc, participating in a Republican primary in Texas in a state that President Trump won by over 15 points. And they are spending money against me to protect the establishment guy who was polling. Who was polling in the 20s. It's a complete and total abomination. And I waited nine months to get into this race because I wanted to see what the President would do as well. You see, the president has not endorsed two Republican incumbents in the entire country, and one of them is John Cornyn. And that's because the primary voter in Texas has moved on. And I believe I am the person that can win this primary, that can win this general election, and it won't cost a ton of money. And I am already outperforming Jasmine Crockett, and I'm already outperforming James Talarico, and I'm outperforming my two colleagues against them already. That's why I'm in this race. That's why I'm fighting till the very end to. To make sure that we end up in first or second place, this thing goes to a runoff, and then we will then prevail and be the next senator from the great state of Texas.

[Stephen A. Smith]

However, your. However, your opponents are running ads about your, quote, unquote, mixed votes in The House. How do you respond to the critique that you've abandoned your current constituents voices in D.C. to chase a promotion to the Senate? What do you say to that?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

That's a, that's a great question. First of all, when I first got into the House Representatives a couple of years got Mr. Large Tranche of votes because my little boy was in the nicu. And then also the President tapped me to be one of his top surrogates traveling around the country during the last election. I was the first person in the country to endorse him in this last election. And as a reward, he wanted me to be one of his top surrogates. And so when the President asked you to do something, brother, you know you gotta hop on that plane and you gotta do it. But of course, this last few months as I have been running, people need to know this. I don't have 100 million dollar war chest is paid for by the DC swamp. I have to get out and do events. I have to get out and meet voters. I have done over 50 events and over 200 interviews. I am earning the vote of my fellow Tex. Only two times has the speaker of the House or the President called me to come back to D.C. for very critical votes. And I was there and I will always be there. But I want people to know this too. How many votes did J.D. vance miss when he was tapped to be the Vice President?

[Stephen A. Smith]

All of them.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

How many votes did Tim Scott missed when he was running for president? 150. One of the most missed votes in all in. In the history of the Senate. When you are, we are searching and trying to seek higher office, you're going to have to miss some votes. But it's not about the votes that you miss. It's about the votes that you take. And John Cornyn has made way too many poor votes and that's why he's in his position.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'd be remiss in neglecting to ask you about the video where President Trump superimposed apes on the former President and the First Lady. Got to ask you about that because in a WFA WFAA interview last week, you defended the President's social media post regarding the Obamas. I wanted to know for the sake of my audience. I'm not gonna push back. You know, I felt differently. I certainly didn't defend him. I want to know why you felt the way that you felt. I want you to explain the audience actually what you felt and why as quickly as you possibly can so we can follow up with some other Questions.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Of course, of course, of course. So when the President said that a staff made a mistake, I believe that. Let me tell you something. President Trump is not a racist. If you believe President Trump is a racist or you think he's not a racist, I don't believe his racist. This man has been very kind to me and my family. But back in the 80s when he was on Oprah's show, he wasn't a racist. Then when he was on a View before he was a president, he wasn't a racist. Then when, when he was hanging around a lot of black folks like Jesse Jackson, he was actually his, his first check. Nobody said he was racist then. And then all of a sudden he runs as a Republican and then now he's a racist. I take him for, for, for. I take him for his word. He said it was a mistake. It was a mistake by a staffer. I moved on from it immediately.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In fairness to you, let me tell you what my position is. I never called them a racist. I'm still not calling him a racist. But my whole point is that's entirely different than do you believe he did it because you got to me. I would follow up with you with Byron Donald, who I know anybody else, and ask this question. When he said it was an unnamed staffer, did y' all insist on finding out who the hell that unnamed staffer was and finding out whether or not they've been removed from their position for doing such a thing? Did you at least do that?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Let me give you some insight to how this operation works here because I've had the honor of flying around with the President. I've had the honor of flying around with his plane, on his plane with his staff. I've been on Air Force One. There are a lot of people that are running around. There are a lot of people that have access to that account. There are a lot of people that are posting things. I do believe it was an honest mistake. At the end of the day, I believe that with my heart and soul. And I will also say this as well. I don't know if there was anything punitive that was done. That's necessarily not my job. But I do think the President probably gave the person another shot because I didn't hear of any heads rolling. People make mistakes.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Two questions before I let you get on out of here because I know you only got a couple of minutes left. One is this. Last night the President claimed the only way Democrats win is through rampant fraud and non citizen voting. As a member of Congress, have you seen any evidence that justifies calling the entire Democratic Party cheaters from the rostrum of the House?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

At the end of the day, when you have to ask these people rather or not they stand for the safety of this country or not, and you see that they can't even stand up for that. It's actually a relatively fair assessment, my brother. And I hate saying that because I understand where you're getting at. You don't want to paint a brush on everybody. You don't want to say that all Democrats feel this way, all independents feel this way, all Republicans feel this way. But at the end of the day, when you look up on that board and you see who votes for what it is extraordinarily polarized. And that goes for everything and that goes for the safety of this country. And that goes to what President Trump was even referring to last night. And even last year, during last year's A State of State of Union address, he said I could come up with a cure for cancer and people would still sit down and not support that and not support me because they hate me so much. These are the polarizing times that we live in. It es and flows ain't our first rodeo in this country. This is a country that went through World Wars. This is a country that went to the civil rights movement. This is a country that went through Jimmy Carter and then we had 12 years of Tip O' Neal and we had Reagan. This is all a part of that cycle. We are in a cycle that I call the attitude era. And I hope and I pray that in the future it begets a more collaborative cycle. But this is where we're at right now and we are both dug in. I am a strong conservative. I'm a stand up for my values here in Texas. Like I said, I'm in a Trump +20 district here in Houston. I'm telling you, I'm a stand up for my people. But at the end of the day, I do want to see us become more collaborative in the future.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I got to ask this very last question before you go. And I got a somewhat smirk on my face because I'm imagining what the answer is going to be when I ask this question. And I can't wait in your perfect world to win that Senate seat in Texas. First of all, do you believe you're going to win? And if so, who do you wish as the Republican nominee for that seat that you end up going up against on the Democrats look great.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

That is a great.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's a great question. That's What I want to know. Oh, I love it.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

You're my man. So at the end of the day, I don't do anything that I don't believe I'm going to do. I believe that the Lord orders my steps in his word. I believe I am here because of the blood of Jesus Christ. And I believe that I'm doing exactly what I need to be. And I believe that I am going to win this seat. Otherwise I wouldn't be here in the first place. And if I went and win or lose a draw, I am always a winner because I'm a believer in him.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

And if I don't win, then the Lord will put me to where he needs to be. But let me tell you something. I, as an Apache pilot, as an Apache fighter, as a guy that fought for this nation, I am fighting for Texas. And I absolutely do believe that I am going to be the next senator from Texas. When you ask me who would I like to debate against, I'm going to be absolutely honest with you, man. It's. It's got to be Jasmine Crockett. I can't. I can't lie to you. I think I'm going to do better than Ken and John against either one of them because of my energy, because of my ability to actually campaign. I'm the only one that's actually running a real campaign. I have done more stops than anybody else running in this race. But I would love to see the juxtaposition of the way I view America and the way I view the world on stage with the juxtaposition of the way that Jasmine views this world. We are roughly the same age. We both been black the whole time. We are, we are. We are a member of two very different parties with two very different ideas. And the idea of me talking to my fellow Texans about how I believe that we are victors in this country and talking about how, let's be blunt here, she will take a more victims mentality in this whole debate. I would love for that to be front and center, because I do believe that this country is the greatest country in the world. And yes, we've had our issues, but through hard work, great determination. Jasmine Crockett is a congresswoman. I'm a congressman out of Houston, she's out of the Dallas area. And here we are on stage having a very healthy debate coming from opposite sides.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know you got to go, but you said victim's mentality, and she would take that. You know, people are going to take. I don't want to Interpret it for you. What you mean by that? What did you mean by saying she's going to adopt the victim's mentality? Last question.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Well, she already has adopted a victim's mentality. We hear it all the time. Everything is about race. Everything is about division. Everything is about as a black this, as a black that. And let me tell you something. I recognize the charted path that we've had in this country. I also recognize that I'm sitting here right now talking to one of the most successful black men in broadcasting. Broadcasting. In the history of this country. You, too, have been black your entire life. I want to talk about the progress. And I understand maybe it was more difficult for us to. At more difficult for us than other people at certain times and in our. In our lives. But that's actually what made us better. That's actually what made us stronger. And now here we are, having a very healthy, substantive conversation as black men in the greatest country in the world. I am not a victim.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And something tells me you're not either, Representative Wesley Hunt. I mean, this. This. This. This man is something special. Listen, you know, you always got a home here. Anytime you want to come back, you are always welcome here. I ain't gonna always agree with you. Now, you know that.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

I know that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But I'm. But I. I'm here. Don't ever worry about fair and equal air time on this show. You got it, my man. Anytime you want it. All the best to you, man. I'm so thankful that you took time out of your busy schedule to come on the show. It really means a lot to me. I've been waiting to interview you for a long time, and you delivered the goods every bit as much as I expected you to. Thank so much, and good luck in that rest. I'm definitely rooting for you to capture the Republican nomination for the Senate seat in Texas. Make no mistake about it. You take it easy, and we'll talk soon, all right?

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Yes, sir. God bless you. Thank you very much.

[Stephen A. Smith]

God bless the one and only representative. Representative Wesley Hunt out of Texas. You heard him loud and clear. The brother, the real deal. He ain't playing. He ain't playing. Ain't gonna be no pushover now. It's gonna be something. I've been waiting to talk for that man for a long time, and he did not disappoint. 8 6, 6, 9, 6, 7. 6, 8, 8, 7. That's 8, 6, 6, 9, 6, POTUS. More coming up before we get to our number two in a minute with Robert Costa. Don't go away. It's Stephen A straight shooter in the house.

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[Robert Costa]

right by getting the most for my money.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I just opened a GoToBank account and it's paying off out the gate.

[Robert Costa]

I want to save money on filing my taxes.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Look no further than GoToBank. You'll get 20% off TurboTax when filing your 2025 taxes.

[Greenlight Infinity Advertiser]

That sounds like a great way to start the year.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Open your GoToBank account today and get started.

[Robert Costa]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

I can't front. That man got me fired up. That man got me fired up and if he could get me fired up, he could get voters in Texas fired up. I'm telling you that right now. Graduate of West Point, served eight years in the army as an Apache helicopter pilot, including 55 combat missions in Iraq and two tours in Saudi Arabia. Three degrees, three Ivy League master's degrees from Cornell, an MBA and MPA and MILR. Represents the 38th Congressional District, a seat created after the 2020 census. Covers parts of suburban Houston, Jersey Village, Cypress, Tomball and the Energy Corridor. It's staunchly Republican leaning and a heavy focus on the energy industry. Currently in a high stakes 2026 U.S. senate race in Texas, challenging incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton in the GOB primary As of this Monday, the University of Texas Texas Politics Project poll showed hunt at 26% while Paxton was at 36% and cornhole was at 34%. But I think he's refuting those numbers and he's saying it's even closer than that. But here's the thing to take away from it. He would be the Republican nominee and he wants to go against Jasmine Crockett on the Democratic side for the Senate seat. Could you imagine him versus Jasmine Crockett for the United States Senate seat representing Texas? Lord have mercy. The hell would presidential debates be in? Straight fire? That would be straight fire. That would be a Republican debate that would be carried across the nation. Wesley Hunt versus Jasmine Crockett. I'm down for it. I'm down for. I want to see that. I want to see that. Oh, my goodness. Our number two up next, Robert Acostas from CBS News. He'll be up to talk about State of the Union address last night. Don't go away. You don't want to miss what he has to say. Our number two coming up next, straight shooter in the house.

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[Robert Costa]

I need to start off the new year right by getting the most for my money.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I just opened a go to bank

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

account and it's paying off out the gate.

[Robert Costa]

I want to save money on filing my taxes.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Look no further than GoToBank. You'll get 20% off TurboTax when filing your 2025 taxes.

[Greenlight Infinity Advertiser]

That sounds like a great way to start the year.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Open your GoToBank account today and get started.

[Robert Costa]

Learn more at GoToBank.com tax Green bank member FDIC.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Straight shooter with stephen a. Welcome back. The straight shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. Coming at you as I love to do every Wednesday night from 6 to 8pm Eastern Standard Time over the airways of SiriusXM POTUS radio channel 124. It is my pleasure to have on my next guest a guy that I must say did a really nice feature on me, you know, for CBS Morning Sunday Morning News. I mean, he did a great, great job. I actually, I was flattered. I mean, I couldn't believe it. I mean, usually I'm used to, I'm used to people doing features on me and I'm like, ah, whatever. But he did a damn good job and I really, really appreciated him. Obviously, he's a chief Washington analyst for CBS News and national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. Obviously, he's doing a great, great job for them and I wanted to have him on because of the State of the Union address on Tuesday night by President Trump. Mr. Robert Costa for CBS News is with me right now. How are you, Robert? How's everything, man?

[Robert Costa]

It's good to be with you. Thank you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you for doing the feature on me. I really really appreciate it. Really, really nice job. Just wanted to say that. Let me get right to it because I gotta ask you, you've covered a lot of these addresses. Last night, Trump called Democrats crazy, accused them of destroying a company. Has the State of the Union officially shifted from a policy roadmap to basically a purely theatrical rally or say, what would you describe it as, Stephen, last night?

[Robert Costa]

It's kind of an evolution of what we've seen from the American presidency in recent decades. The Constitution only says the president should update Congress from time to time. It doesn't say you have to have a so called State of the Union address, that you have to do this. So this is really a process that's been connected to politics rather than a requirement. And presidents have kind of used it to reflect their own personality. And last night certainly did that with President Trump. It was him trying to define these times. I talked to sources close to him and I spoke to him before the speech, Stephen, and he said, look, he believes in his view he's done a solid job, a great job, as he put it to me. And he wanted to, over the course of about two hours, make the case to the country and also, as he often does, make a very pointed attack on the Democrats.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What did you think about the pointed attacks that he made against the Democratic Party? How unusual was it, if not at all, and how effective was it, or lack thereof, in your estimation?

[Robert Costa]

It was classic President Trump. I've covered him since 2011 when he was just a businessman and a television personality. And he is someone who likes to engage his critics so he can try to define them through the fight he's having with them. And last night, in President Trump's view, in the case of Republicans, they want Democrats to be defined as those yelling at him from the House floor. They don't want on the Republican side, the Democrats to be defined by the Virginia governor Abigail Spamberger, who gave a very moderate, toned, centrist response to the State of the Union later in the night. And that's really the battle here for the Democrats. How are they going to be defined by themselves? How can the Republicans define them? It's a bit of an open question when you're the opposition party.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Robert Costa for CBS News right here with Stephen A. SiriusXM I'm sorry, straight shooter with Stephen A. SiriusXM PO this radio while Trump spoke, some Democrats held people State of the Union, others called it a State of the Swamp event with celebrities like Robert De Niro in attendance and stuff like that. In your estimation, Robert, did These alternative events provide a meaningful counter narrative, or did they feed the GOP's, quote, unquote, unserious label of the Democrats? What were your thoughts about it?

[Robert Costa]

Depends on whom you ask. I mean, I spoke to Senator John Fetterman, for example, from Pennsylvania, the Democrat, Stephen, and he said he wouldn't participate in those kind of outdoor rallies or counter events because he believes, he told me, any president, whether you're President Trump or somebody else, deserves courtesy and respect. So he sat there in the chamber in kind of the traditional way, but in the same way President Trump and Republicans were trying to rally their base with his speech. Democrats feel like they need to get energy for the grassroots ahead of November. They don't have a presidential race to get people excited. So, so many Democrats, yes, they know some voters, some observers might not love the spectacle, the theater of what they do to rally up their own base, but they need their people to turn out to do well.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What kind of impression did you receive over the last 1212 to 15 hours or so about Representative Omar or anyone else from the squad yelling at President Trump after he called them crazy? What kind of feedback do you think did you receive from that? I don't want to call it an altercation, but just that back and forth.

[Robert Costa]

It's been notable, Stephen, to look at a lot of the news coverage, the headlines. You remember years ago when the Republican congressman from South Carolina, Joe Wilson, he yelled, you lie at President Obama. And that got. That was like an explosion going off in the news cycle. It defined politics for a few weeks. That doesn't happen anymore. This kind of drama, this kind of tension, it's par for the course. Whether you like it or not, it's part of American politics. So is it a defining moment for the Democrats? It seems to have been a big moment of the night. But just like State of the Union addresses don't often seem to sink into the political consciousness for a long time, these altercations also don't seem to have the impact they did, say, 10, 12 years ago.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do you get the impression that this is how both sides of the aisle are going at each other in this day and age, or is it specifically about the Democrats versus Trump versus Trump himself?

[Robert Costa]

No, there's a real divide about how this is, how to play the game, how to fight politically. For example, look at Gavin Newsom, the California governor. He's talking publicly about selling knee pads to Republicans and institutional leaders for their work with President Trump. That's a pretty. That's a. That's a hard push shall we say, against President Trump? And that's kind of playing Trump's own game against President Trump to use that combative tactic. But then I spoke to Congressman Jamie Raskin in Maryland yesterday. This is one of the most progressive Democrats out there. I said, are you getting ready to impeach President Trump should you win back power in the House? He said, I'm not even talking about that, Bob. And what that tells me, Stephen, is that those who are trying to run maybe in 2028 are being pretty aggressive, but those who know they have to face voters this fall in swing states in places that aren't that progressive, they're being a little bit more muted trying to talk about the economy instead of talking about President Trump every day.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And why would that be the case? I mean, do they, are they fearful that talking about Trump would lose, would be a losing proposition for them if they brought up impeachment and things of that nature? Are they suspecting that this would be deemed as being more of the same from the Democratic side when it comes to Trump and America is exhausted by that, or is it something else?

[Robert Costa]

There's a lot of lessons learned from 2024. When I speak to Democrats, they got battle wounds, Stephen, in terms of how they think about politics now because they thought by hitting that alarm button in 2024 when Vice President Harris was on the ticket that that would be enough to say President Trump's not fit for office, in their view, and saying he's just this out of control person, that would be enough to keep him out of power. That, of course, was not the case he won in 2024. So they're really trying to look at the lessons even of Mamdani in New York. Even if you're not a Democratic socialist, Mamdani's focus on economic issues, on affordability, this is something Democrats feel like they have to turn to as their strategy, not just ringing the bell, saying Trump is bad.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Robert Costa, co author of the New York Times number one bestseller Peril in 2021 with Bob Woodward, which detailed the transition from the first Trump term to the Biden administration. He's right here with Stephen A. A straight shooter with Stephen A. Robert, let me ask you this question. You've had unique access to both Biden and Trump in this current administration. Is the, quote, unquote, insider access? You're known for becoming harder. You're known for becoming harder to get. As the White House learns more on direct to social media messaging or leans more on direct to social media messaging, what are your thoughts about that, that

[Robert Costa]

it's not harder in the sense that President Trump has kind of opened up how the Republican Party runs. When I was starting out as a reporter 15, 17 years ago, and Steven, you know this from sports, there's often a layer of people you have to go through to get to the star. What's the best thing you would do? I guess when you're on the newspaper beat, you'd go to the locker room and talk directly to the player. You can still do political reporting. You can go to the locker room. That doesn't mean you actually go to the locker room of the White House or Congress, but you can go to the halls of Congress and you can talk to senators and House members who just had lunch with President Trump. And President Trump's accessible. You may not like him, you may think he's the best, but he's accessible because he comes out of a media environment. People forget President Trump's been on the public stage for 50 plus years. The tabloids of New York City, talking to the New York papers, the national papers. This is the language of the press communication. That's his language. So he's remained accessible even as he's clashed with the press and often been very critical.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How do you feel about being a member of the Fourth Estate, knowing that he calls the media fake news all the time and he brings into question the credibility of one reporter after another after another. Does that make your job that much more difficult? Does it heighten your level of sensitivity towards covering this particular White House, as opposed to a White House that wouldn't engage in such behavior and polarizing rhetoric? What are your thoughts about that?

[Robert Costa]

It's a great question, Stephen. You know, 10 years ago, when President Trump, then candidate Trump, Mr. Trump was talking about the press, he'd often use that term fake news. And whenever he used it, I didn't engage with it. I think the job of journalists and others can disagree. I think there's a real space for opinion journalism. But those who are news reporters, like myself, the straight shooters in terms of the correspondent ranks, the reporter ranks, we don't want to be the story. So if someone's critical of our coverage or loves our coverage, that's fine. This is America. You have an opinion. But I really believe it's important for the reporters and the journalists who are doing the news coverage to focus on the work, to not get embroiled and sucked into some kind of debate about the press, because then we're not doing the reporting that's needed.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, listen, not to be redundant or Anything like that, but to engage in more specificity. I mean, you just won the Fourth Estate Award, if I remember correctly. How do you maintain a nonpartisan reputation at CBS when the very act of fact checking this particular president's claims is viewed by half the country as a partisan attack?

[Robert Costa]

Stephen, you mentioned our conversation at the beginning of this discussion. My approach as a reporter is to take people and their ideas seriously. That doesn't mean you don't hold them to account, but you don't come in with an assumption about whether this person can win, whether this person's smart or dumb, whether they're cool or not. It's not the job of the press, in my view, to start coming into any kind of coverage with a hard assumption about what is and what's not. Could Stephen A. Smith run for president? Sure. Or not. Could Governor Newsom be the nominee? He might be, he might not. I used to talk to Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, and President Trump before he was president, all the time when they were getting very little coverage. And I listened to them. So my approach is don't be a know it all. But when they do raise questions about their conduct or you have to hold them accountable, do it in a way that's vigorous but not opinionated or in some way partisan. It's a way to hold people to account by bringing up relevant facts but giving them a chance to respond. And I think it's always a dance. It's always a bit of a delicate balance, but it's possible. Journalism is still possible in America.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How is it possible when everything you do is viewed as being, to some degree attached to personal feelings? Because that's how both sides treat everything. You could ask very basic rudimentary questions that come along with being a member of the Fourth estate, being a journalist, being neutral and objective. But they'll embrace it as if there's some partisanship involved, some way to get them. How do you ward that off in today's society, considering how polarizing both sides have contributed to this country?

[Robert Costa]

Being Steven, you use the word view how people view it. You really have to shed caring about how people view it. Do you want to be accurate? Do you want to be the best? Of course. But I can't consume myself with how people view my work. I have to do the work as best as I can. I really think of it like a craft. If someone's building a house as a construction worker, they're not thinking about how all the neighbors are viewing the house. They're just building the house as best. They can and trying to be the best home builder possible. Maybe not a perfect analogy, but journalism is a craft. You want to excel at it. And if you let the noise get in your head, you're going to lose track of what you're doing, which is trying to listen, ask the best follow up questions. And as Bob Woodward taught me, always ask yourself every day. And I'm sure you do this in your own way. Where is the story going? What's the story today? Who should I be talking to? Who deserves another phone call? And that's part of the job, too. It's not about where are the replies on social media, how many emails am I getting? Is this going to look good or bad? If you have integrity in the process, you can keep moving forward without worrying about the noise.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Getting back to the State of the Union address, does it even serve a purpose any longer in your estimation, is it something president should continue to do? Or have we reached a point where it almost makes no sense to even have it, considering the partisanship that's involved and how polarizing it has become?

[Robert Costa]

Well, it's so interesting you ask that because when I'm up on Capitol Hill in recent days, Stephen, so many lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats privately tell me they don't like the State of the Union, not because of the spectacle of it. And just in terms of the president's speech, they don't like that Congress in their view is now so diminished in American public life. People don't talk about Congress in many quarters as a powerful institution. They see it as kind of a body of people that goes on television once in a while and follows the president blindly, whether they're a Democrat or Republican. And this is a co equal branch of government, along with the courts, along with the executive branch. But we have a system now that so many lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans believe is driven solely by the executive, by the chief executive, the presidency. And that's not how the Constitution was arranged. When you look at the Constitution and the founders writings, they talked about a healthy tension among all the different branches and so many lawmakers. And it really is a constant theme. I hear they feel things are out of whack in terms of the balance of power in Washington.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Based on what we saw last night, do we have any reason to believe that these folks can work across the aisle and work together consistently, considering how divisive things were? I mean, when you looked at Representative Omar's face, it was like she'll never vote for anything that's remotely favorable to Trump. There's Nothing to discuss. You could see it. You see him calling them crazy and, and positioning them to look bad at every turn. I don't know how America gets beyond this until. Unless something drastic changes, I just don't know.

[Robert Costa]

Well, it's difficult because one of the motivating factors for a lot of these lawmakers, for many of them, they tell me it's about getting reelected. And if you're in a conservative district or a very progressive district, to win that primary for the House or Senate, you have to keep the base with you. So if you start cutting bipartisan deals, it's harder to get that base in a primary to say you're the best. That's who we want to send to Washington. And when you look at the great deals in congressional history, the big deals from the 60s and 70s, think about President Johnson, the great society, Republicans and Democrats working together on issues like voting rights. Yes, it was challenging, but they got things done. The states, the maps and the congressional districts they included, it was much more. Yes, some were gerrymandered, but not everything was gerrymandered in such a tight way that it became about keeping your seat in a primary race versus cutting a deal in Washington. And so it's going to take leadership for big deals to get done. There hasn't been a real big deal in Washington in a long time.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Not according to Trump, though. He always says it's a big deal. Everything he does he thinks is, well,

[Robert Costa]

he does a lot of deals with foreign powers. He does a lot of deals kind of with the executive branch. So he loves to cut deals that he's involved with. But brokering a bipartisan deal, not so easy. He gets a lot of stuff done, just like most presidents do. When you control both the House and the Senate, the big question is divided government. Can things get done? Let's say, if the Democrats win, could the president come to the table? Could the Democrats work with President Trump? Could he work with the Democrats on something? Or is it just going to be political war all the time?

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're a man that's been in, you know, I mean, you've accomplished a lot in your career. Robert Costa, in 2025, you were awarded the fourth estate award, the National Press Club's highest honor. You also won an EMMY Award in 2023 for outstanding recorded news programming with the Sunday morning team. So congratulations and props to you. Considering how much you've been around all of this, my last question to you would be this. Based off of what you've seen last night, what do you think is likely to happen with the upcoming midterms. Based off of what you've seen last night, would it be more of the same, or does change seems to be on the verge of arriving in Washington, where, dare I say, the Democrats ended up end up winning the House back or the Senate or whatever, and Trump's going to have a lot more to deal with moving forward. What do you foreshadow considering what you saw last night, if anything at all?

[Robert Costa]

My, my prediction, and it's always dangerous to predict, is that midterms usually are pretty bad for the president in power. But we've learned in recent cycles that that might not be the case anymore. Think about 2022. The Democrats did better under President Biden during the midterms. Why abortion rights brought a lot of people out to the polls that you weren't expecting, why people inside the White House close to President Trump think last night worked is they believe they were rallying the base on issues like immigration, where they've taken a lot of heat because of the death of Alex Preddy and Renee Goode in Minnesota. And they know many swing voters are beleaguered by ICE and what's happening in the streets of many of these cities. But he had President Trump go to the Republican Party and the country and say, look, I'm proud of what I've done and, and it's the best you've ever seen. And he was making this dramatic case for his whole record ahead of the midterm elections. And the Democrats, even though they might have the winds and the wind in their sails because it's the midterm election and the president's on the ropes on some issues, they still got to bring it. They still got to get their voters out. They got to be organized. They got to win in states that are a little bit more centrist. So this is a real battle. It could be very tight. The House is already very tight. No guarantees ahead of November.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Robert Costa, CBS News. Keep up the great work, buddy. Thanks so much for coming on the show, taking time out of your busy schedule. Really appreciate it. Looking forward to having you back on in the future. You take care. All right.

[Robert Costa]

Thank you, Steven.

[Stephen A. Smith]

One and only. Robert Costa, wow. National correspondent of CBS Sunday Morning News, chief Washington analyst for CBS News as well. Right here with Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Don't go away. You're listening live to Straight Shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. Back with your calls and more in a minute. 26 minutes past hour number two back here on the Steven Expert show on straight, show it with Stephen A. SiriusXM POTUS radio channel, 124-866-967-6887 is the number of call up. There's 86696, POTUS. Once again, thank to Robert Costa for CBS News for coming on the show just a few minutes ago. And of course, thanks to Representative Wesley Hunt running for the United States Senate seat representing the state of Texas. He will be formidable in my estimation and my God, if he and Jasmine Crockett ended up going up against one another for the U.S. senate seat in the state of Texas. You talk about box office. That would be must see television, must listen to radio. Yes, it would be that. But we can only wish for now because Cornyn and Paxton and others may have something to say about it. Tell a RICO as well. So we shall see. 866-967-6887. That's 86696 portals. Let's go to the phones today. Let's go to Greg in Michigan. You're live with Stephen. A boom shakalaka. Is that you, Greg?

[Callers]

What's going on, Stephen? Mr. Positive? You betcha, buddy. Hey, we live in a two party system, a binary system, and it's very divisive and it's very polarizing. And this is the system we live in. You and I know and obviously Chris Cuomo knows that we will never agree on anything because it's all about advantage. I'm going to make it very, very simple and please just hear me out. You know what we need? We need, we need Stephen Anthony Smith to bring us to the center. Whether you accept it or not, keep on doing what you're doing and making people realize that it cannot be about advantage. It has to be about unification. And that's what Stephen A. Smith understands. I know this and this is what people have to understand. You will never, ever get unification if you don't have conversation and you don't compromise. No one's absolutely right or wrong. It's Stephen.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Greg, I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much. We lost your signal, but I appreciate it, you know, and that's why I love having the conversations that I have. We've had about 40 guests on this show, 20 Democrats, 20 Republicans. You want to hear both sides before you make a decision. And to me, you know, this notion that you're a racist if you're a public or if you're a Republican, I don't buy that crap. I don't buy that. I know that I want to be judged on the content of my individuality, not the color of my skin. And I don't want to be somebody who's presumably on one side or the other just because you look at me, listen to what I have to say. And I think it's incredibly important. Greg, are you still there? Because I know we lost your signal. You still there, Greg?

[Callers]

Yes, I am.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Go ahead, real quick. Last words, because I got to get to other callers, but thank you. Go ahead, real quick.

[Callers]

You're spot on. Love you, everybody. Go for your dreams.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Appreciate it. Thank you so much. Let's go to Joshua in Oklahoma. You're live with Stephen A. What's up, Joshua? How are you?

[Callers]

Hello, Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith, I hope you go to Washington.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not hoping for I like my life, but go ahead.

[Callers]

I appreciate, I get that you like, you like your life and who would want to go to Washington? But you talk about Trump as being a decisive figure. People don't like him. And people I know that vote for them, don't like them. What we need is somebody that's the opposite, somebody with some dignity, you know, some charisma, some gravitas. You, sir, may fit that bill, whether you, whether people like what you're doing as far as bills and the orders that you're passing. But like, but they may like you and that can bring us together.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Listen, I love my life. I'm not giving up my money, I can tell you that. But I'll tell you that it's been intriguing because I see the state of our country right now and then you see these polls that you got. Our top four candidates on the left is Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and aoc. What I mean, I think I can beat those folks. Not that I'm more qualified, not that I'm more knowledgeable, because neither is the case. But I know that I can learn and I know I'd be even handed. And I know the left ain't pulling me further to the left. Ain't no way in hell. That is not happening. That is not happening. You understand? I've got friends on both sides of the aisle ideologically. I always have throughout my life because my home was that way with my parents. My mother and father were not the same, did not share the same ideology politically. One of our best friends on the planet, Jeff Brown, out in California, we don't share the same ideology. But I'll be damned if most time, more often than not, he ain't making perfect sense. And at some point in time, it can't be about your emotions. It can't be about your feelings. It has to be about facts and it has to be about fairness. Facts and fairness. Facts and fairness. Facts and fairness. That has to usurp feelings. That has to usurp feelings. And we have to understand as American citizens, we don't get to get everything we want that compromises the order of the day. And these two damn parties don't show us that they can compromise on very much. And we're the ones that are like suckers in pawns fighting in the streets of America, you know, disowning and distancing ourselves from family members and friends and loved ones over their sorry ass politics because they bait you into feeling one way or another instead of using your sense and understand, hey, everything is not what it seems. I often tell this story about Dick Cheney, the former Vice President of the United States, that was approached by a reporter talking to him about the polls. And it was like, the polls are saying this and saying that. And Dick Cheney said so. I was almost spit up my food. I couldn't believe I saw a politician. Duty, he said. So. He said, you didn't elect us to follow you. You elected us to lead, and we're going to lead and doing what we think is in the best interest of the United States of America. She went a step further and talked about Planned Parenthood and all of this other Stu. And he says, I have no issue with you doing what you want to do. You're an American citizen. You have that right in this country. My issue is wanting the government to pay for it. And all of a sudden it opened my eyes because I said, everything is not as it seems. Everything is not that obvious. There is nuance that enters every equation, and we have to study the nuance and understand the difference before we make our decisions. I am a guy that is pro life, but I'll be damned if I ever tell a woman what to do with her body. So I vote pro choice. Very simple. I am a supporter of gay rights and all of that stuff in the LGBTQ community. You have my support, except for when you tell me that one transitioning from male to female, if they so choose and they're underage, doesn't require parental consent. You must be out your damn mind. You can't tell my underage child to go across the street to the store for you without my permission. What the hell makes you think you can give them permission to do what they want as children without parental consent? That is ridiculous. Nor should they be competing in women's sports if they're boys, even if they're transitioning to girls, hell no. Can't have everything. And a lot of times, your civil liberties, your civil rights and all of these other things that come with it, no problem. But you got people out here not just wanting their civil rights and liberties or whatever, they want you to like it. They want you to like them. They want you to embrace and fully accept yo, live and let live. There's some people here that don't like black folks. You know this. This sex going on all over the world. Everybody ain't down with porn and everybody having sex every time you turn around, but they only embrace porn. Everybody got different proclivities. Live and let live. As long as you got the right to do it, you ain't getting arrested, you ain't getting harassed. Nobody's bothering you. Live your life. That's me. Live my life. You can live yours. Not as complicated as people make it out to be. Just seems that way. Steve in California. Talk to me, bro.

[Callers]

Yes, yes. How you doing? Stephen A. This is my first time calling you. I listen to you every now and then. I am a staunch independent. And I have to tell you, you made me laugh when you talked about the last night with a shit show. And I respect that. And also that your guest, you brought up the Obama thing with the apes. I think he sidestepped it. I do believe it was on purpose because.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Time out, Steve. He didn't sidestep it. He had a different opinion than you. He said he spoke to the president. He took the president at his word. He's been around him. He's been in intimate settings with him. He doesn't believe that. That's not sidestepping the question. That's just not agreeing with you. See the difference? Can't say he sidestepped it. He told you exactly what he felt. Representative Wesley Hunt did not sidestep that question. He answered it straight on, head on. His belief is that somebody else did it. Not the president. He believes the president. That's not sidestepping, Stephen. I don't believe the president. I don't believe the president. I believe he's guilty as hell with this. But he does. Wesley Hunt does and he said so.

[Callers]

And yeah, so you and I agree on a lot of things. I could spend a day and a half talking to you. You and I, You. You have totally impressed me today. And the only thing I wish is that you were on five days a week instead of one day a week.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know you ain't calling up here, Steven, trying To add more stuff to my role, more work to my life. I, I work. I got a television show for two hours every morning. I got a radio sports show for two hours a day every afternoon. I, I got this weekly show. I own my own production company. I got my own YouTube channel. And you trying to add more work to me, Stephen, come on, man. Come on, brother. Can I get a vacation? Can I get some time off? Come on, bro.

[Callers]

Okay, you kick. You crack me up, and. Okay, you do, and. But I have to say, you're spot on so many times I listen to you, but today, I mean, you fully impressed me and, and you trying to add more.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much, Stephen. Let's go to Rebel in Nevada. You're live with Stephen A. What's going on? Rebel? Is that the correct pronunciation? Oh, I'm sorry. That's what I said. Tom in Florida, you're live with Stephen A. What's going on? Tom, how are you?

[Callers]

Hey, Stephen, how are you this evening?

[Stephen A. Smith]

How are you? Thank you for calling. What's going on?

[Callers]

Well, I'm just, as I told your screener, I'm wondering, who's paying you to carry Donald Trump's water, man?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Who's paying me? Who's paying me to do what?

[Callers]

No, no, no, no. Let me, let me, let me, let me explain.

[Stephen A. Smith]

No, I just say. I'm just saying I didn't understand you, sir. That's all I'm saying. I didn't understand you.

[Callers]

Well, you're, you're, you're carrying Donald Trump's water, okay? You're. You're bringing his message to the public. You're speaking for him because you are running down the Democrats using all the rhetoric that MAGA uses. Now, one of the things that you said, and I've been on hold for quite a while, so we have to go back away, but one of the things that you said was you were complaining about the Democrats not standing for the whole America first thing. Right.

[Stephen A. Smith]

America first thing. What are you talking. You talk in terms of, remember? Yeah, in terms of. Do you stand. In terms of putting America first ahead? Yes, exactly.

[Callers]

So America first, you know, I'm gonna

[Stephen A. Smith]

let you go, but I'm gonna respond. But go ahead, go ahead. I'm going to respond. Go ahead.

[Callers]

So you know where that America first slogan originated, right?

[Stephen A. Smith]

It was back even before Reagan, if I remember correctly.

[Callers]

Oh, it was a long time before Reagan. It originated with the Klan back in the, in the late 1800s, early 1900s.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay.

[Callers]

And it's been, it's been this dog whistle for white people to stand up and be racist. That's a dog whistle on me and why I heard it and I understood it. And the Democrats that were sitting in that chamber, they heard it and they understood it, and that's why they didn't stand fair.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Hold on, wait. First of all, Tom, first of all, a couple of things. First thing I want to do is thank you for that education. I didn't know that. I didn't know what you just said.

[Callers]

Well, you're welcome, sir.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you for that. I'm not offended by your assertions, your accusations and what you just educated me about, because that would explain why they didn't stand. But you're assuming they all understood that. You're assuming they knew what you knew do, as opposed to them just refusing to stand for anything that Trump supports. That's what I'm going to. Because I'm going to the. Or I'm reaching towards the inordinate amount of things that they use, they utilize to resist and offset what Trump throws in their direction. Now, allow me to speak to you directly and I'm going to tell to my. To my producers, do not hang up on Tom. I want Tom on this call because I'm talking directly to you, Tom, since you accused me of carrying the president's water. This is not directed at you, Tom. This is directed at anybody who thinks like that. I don't give a damn what they think when it comes to that. At some point in time, your work has to speak for you. We can't count the amount of times I've criticized Trump. We can't count the amount of times I call him to the carpet. But you know the difference between me and people who feel like you do, Tom? Everything we say must be completely resistant to anything that he says or does. Otherwise we'll get accused of carrying the water. You are feeding the system that has created mayhem and chaos. You're not trying to alleviate it because thinking along the lines that you just highlighted falls right into the hands of the opposition. What is Trump going to do moving forward? They gonna play clips of Representative Omar screaming at him, yelling at him and all of that stuff? Or when he brought up last year to cancel, or he brought up the family of Lincoln, Riley, how they didn't stand up, or he did what he did last night. Because when you're trying to win an election to maintain power, these are the kind of things you do. So when I sit up there and I say to the Democrats, you're baited by him, you're falling right into his hands. Remember, Tom, in Florida, I cover sports votes. The beauty of it is that at the end of the day, there's always a winner and a loser. Are you trying to win? I am simply saying to the Democrats, although I'm a registered independent and I voted primarily Democrat my entire life, with the exception of voting for Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey, I'm simply asking them, what's going to win for you? I've asked it for a number of Democratic representatives. Why them instead of the Republicans? Because the Republicans in the White House, the Republicans are in the House. The Republicans are in the Senate. They've already won. So I'm saying, how are you going to reclaim your state to power? You are already gaining momentum because Trump is losing in the courts. You've got the Supreme Court overruling him. You got the tariff situation up for grabs. You've got ICE and their issues in the streets of America where they've been pulled out primarily for the most part from Minneapolis. You've got other stuff going on. And I'm saying the momentum is shifting. The polls are showing its popularity continues to dip and dip. Who knows how it's going to affect members of the GOP in the midterms. How do we notice? Because they've said they're ready. So what I'm saying to you, Thomas, me pointing this stuff out is your definition of me holding this water. So, in other words, don't cover politics, don't cover the truth, don't cover what's going on. Just make sure that you avoid saying anything that he could use to his advantage and they could use to their advantage. That's what you should do. That's asking me to be partisan. That ain't me. I'm an Independent. And I am a radio host and a television host and a broadcaster in the United States of America. It ain't my job to take a side. It's my job to show you what the hell is going on from my perspective and my vantage point. I will give you an opportunity to respond to what I just said, Tom, after this break. You're listening to Straight Shooter with Stephen a. POTUS radio channel 124, 86696. Polters back with more in a minute past hour. Number two, back in the Stephen A. Smith Show. Got a lot of calls from to get into, but I'm gonna go back to Tom to give him the last word before I move on. Tom, real quick. Go ahead.

[Callers]

Okay, two things real quick here, Steven. I understand you Got to move on. And I appreciate you for giving me the time and letting me. Letting me get this out. Two other things. First of all, now, you were saying that the Democrats wouldn't stand up for Trump for anything, but they did.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Warren did. I pointed out early in the show how Elizabeth Warren did stand up for him when it came to insider trading. What's your next point?

[Callers]

It wasn't just Elizabeth Warren. It was a whole bunch of Democrats that stood up. I mean, he even commented about it. Now, the last thing is, is. Is I wanted to talk a little bit about the medals of honor that was handed out. Handed out last night. I am a retired chief warrant officer. Okay. Spent 20 years in the Army. The gentleman, the first gentleman who. Who got the Medal of Honor running this night. Trump couldn't even get his rank right.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Tom, Tom, I got callers on the line here, my man. You want to go into a whole soliloquy about names that Trump couldn't get right? Come on, man. I can't say anything about that. He should have got their names right. He didn't get their name right. What you want me to do about that, Tom? Come on, man.

[Callers]

Well, just. Just if. If he does something wrong, point it out.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Then go back and look at the archives of my show. I've been on the air since September 17th. Go look before you call me back again, because you don't know what you're talking about. I. I insult and I criticize Trump all the time. You don't know what you're saying. Go back and look and call back another time. Have a nice day. Take care. T. Love in Pennsylvania. You're live with Stephen A. What's going on? Big time. How are you?

[Callers]

Hey, my brother. How are you, man?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm all right, man. Go ahead.

[Callers]

This is my first time listening to this particular show. I'm enjoying it. I must say. I'm enjoying it. It's good to see. When you comment on other things, people have to know that you can talk more about other things instead of sports. Let me get to what I was talking about. Where are we not talking about Trump? I have a problem myself personally with him bringing the men's gold medal team and not inviting the women. I just. It says basically who this man is. He's misogynistic. Pos. But. But that's only my opinion. I. I just can't understand. The men's basketball team would have never showed. I don't even understand why the guy showed up.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Because, because, because, because it was about America, it wasn't about politics. You know, their attitude is, is that they're here, they're being celebrated for what they achieved. They're not celebrating him, they're selling. They're being celebrated for representing America. Trump may be the president, but he's not America. There's 350+ million people in this country, and he ain't the only American. There's a whole bunch of things. There's a whole bunch of stuff that goes on. And by the way, 77 million people voted for him. So guess what? Chances are at some point in time, we celebrated people who supported him. That's the way the world goes. What about when Obama was in office? What about when Biden was in office? What about when Clinton was in office? Tens of millions of people voted against them, but you still had to accept the fact that they're the President of the United States and this is America. And it's not about them as individuals. It's about the office, it's about the institution, it's about the country. And, oh, by the way, he'll be going in 2028. T love, aren't you expecting to be alive then? Ain't you expecting to be driving, then? Ain't you expecting to be living your life?

[Callers]

It's me that. I will gladly accept it. But. But you're not. You're not talking about what? I'm talking about American, the women's gold medal team hockey team. Aren't they Americans?

[Stephen A. Smith]

They're coming. They couldn't make it. They were invited. Couldn't make it, and promise to come to the White House at a later date where they'll be honored.

[Callers]

Okay. All right, well, then, thank you for that. Thank you for that.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

I wasn't aware of that.

[Callers]

And I just thought that they weren't invited because he had said some other things and left them out. And I thought this was an extension of that. So thank you for.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I gotta go because I'm running out of time. I appreciate the call, T. Love. Call back anytime. By the way, getting back to the America first phrase, according to my research, it predates the Ku Klux Klan's use of the phrase. The expression appeared in American political discourse in the 19th century and was later adopted by various groups, including the Ku Klux Klan during its 1920s resurgence. They used it, but they didn't coin the phrase. That was for Tom in Florida, just so you know. Let's go to Chris in Virginia. You're live with Stephen A. What's up, Chris? How are you? Oh, good evening.

[Callers]

Good evening, sir. I guess my thing is we keep forgetting that this is not just a regular president, like a normal president. And people have to. Have to really get with that. He's not going to do as a normal president.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You cannot expect it.

[Callers]

And a lot of times, a lot of the media normalize what he does. Now, as far as the Democrats go, Carver said, shut up. Let them implode, let them do their things. I don't think it was right that they didn't stand up. They could have stand up for, you know, the tragedies and stuff like that. They need to pick and choose their battle. The way I see it, I'm just

[Stephen A. Smith]

talking about, I'm just talking about, about the optics you could know and all of that other stuff. But you got to think about what they'll utilize for the midterms to work against you and offset that if you're trying to win. That's all I'm saying. I'm not saying anything more than that. I'm not sitting up here sitting on some high horse talking about their moral compass and all of that stuff. I'm talking about winning elections, you trying to win the midterms, what you going to do? Don't play into his hands because he's playing them like a fiddle and it's worked out for him. Maybe it won't work this time around. They did lose the gubernatorial seat in Jersey and Virginia. They did lose the mayoral seat in New York. We got that part. Okay, so maybe that momentum is doing that. But the point is, is come midterms, if you want to reclaim power in the House or the Senate, the bottom line is that you're going to have to be strategic and you don't want to play yourself and get baited by him. That's all I'm trying to say. Chris, I gotta run. I appreciate the call, man. Thank you so much. James in Florida, you're live with Stephen A. Go ahead, real quick. James, how are you?

[Callers]

Stephen, a pleasure to talk to you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you. Go ahead.

[Callers]

I just want to say. Yeah, what I, Wesley is like, awesome. Corning is terrible. I like that. I, I support Brian Donald, but all of a sudden I want to talk about the people that came in to this country, the 15 million illegally. And I, I mean, I understand getting rid of those people, but the dreamers, I mean, there are people out there that have been here for 20, 25 years that their kids don't even speak another language. They speak, they speak English. They don't even know another language. I can't see how that would help anybody. And most of them are doing great jobs. I mean, everybody thinks they're a lot. No, they, they do their roofers, they're construction workers. I mean, they're actually work in all the industries, computer. So I think that. And actually Trump did say that he'd talk with the Republicans, I mean, the Democrats, but they don't, they don't want to talk about any of that. I don't understand that. You know, they talk about common sense and I did critical thinking a lot with my job. Common sense is not common. It's just amazing. I got you how they think and how they react and how, I mean, it's emotions. It's not common sense.

[Stephen A. Smith]

James, I'm running out of time. I can't let you continue going on. I get your point. I understand that. I appreciate it. I just got some callers to get to before I get on out of here for the day. Thank you for your call and feel free to call back next week, though. But I get your point. Louder. Clear. I truly, truly do. Scotty in Utah, you're live with Stephen A. Scotty. Go ahead. Real quick, buddy.

[Callers]

Go ahead, essay. Stephen A. Smith. Been a fan since I was 21, 41 years old. I know you don't want to hear all that to do, hear it all the time. But I got to meet you in Boston when I was 21, before I moved out here to Utah. So shout out to you, appreciate you, love your energy, love what you do in our first take, love everything on your platform. Anyways, so I just need to say something, man. The other day, I've been trying to get through to say this the other day, man. I'm gonna have.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Just hurry up and say what you got to say.

[Representative Wesley Hunt]

Go ahead.

[Callers]

I'm trying. I'm half black, halfway.

[Stephen A. Smith]

All right.

[Callers]

The other day about Charlie Kirk and Reverend Jackson, you said you kept saying white Christian community. That, that don't help us black people not look racist when we're, when we're taking. A Christian is a Christian, man. A Christian is a Christian.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, so what are you saying? What did I do?

[Callers]

You said on that, on that episode, the white Christian community.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, I'm saying that was, I was saying that was primarily his base because there wasn't an abundance of black people that followed Charlie Kirk. Not to say no one did, but that's all I meant by that. Nothing else.

[Callers]

Oh, you, you weren't saying, like, you weren't pointing Christianity, Christianity towards white people.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Absolutely, Absolutely not. I would never do that.

[Callers]

I Didn't think so. Because I followed you forever and you are absolutely not that way. And so shocked.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah, I thank you for asking that question. I would never do that. That was just me pointing about his base. That's all I was trying to say. Nothing more than that. All right. Appreciate the call. Thank you so much. Let's go. Let's go to Robert in Georgia. You're live with Stephen A. Robert.

[Callers]

Hey, Steve.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Robert, I apologize. They just told me you only got 30 seconds. Go ahead. Floor is yours.

[Callers]

That's all right, man. I'm going to be real brief. This is all performative, including the. The show last night, man. Come on down for let's Make a Deal. All of these politicians are there for the money. They're not there for the people. And they perform on a daily basis. That's it. Don't get your panties in a wad about that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's why we need change. That's why we. We need change. We need. People are passionate about getting things done for the betterment of the country instead of the betterment of themselves. That's what the hell we need, plain and simple. Thank you all for listening. Spirited show. Thanks again to Representative Wesley Hunt. He was sensational, no doubt about it. And Robert Costa is big time, big time. CBS News chief White House correspondent, chief Washington correspondent doing big, big things. Really appreciated both of them coming on the show and enlightening us the way that they did. I'll be back a week from tonight, 6 to 8pm Eastern Standard Time, as I am every Wednesday night on SiriusXM Police Radio, channel 124. Until next week, everybody. This is Stephen A. Signing off. Peace and love. God bless. Be safe. See you next week.

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