TRUMP FAILING AMERICANS; RAHM EMANUEL

Summary

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The Stephen A. Smith Show (Straight Shooter with Stephen A.)

Episode: TRUMP FAILING AMERICANS; RAHM EMANUEL

Date: May 14, 2026
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Guest: Rahm Emanuel (former Chief of Staff, Obama Admin; former Mayor of Chicago; potential 2028 Presidential candidate)

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Episode Overview

Stephen A. Smith delivers a passionate, strategy-driven show focusing on the failures of the Trump administration, with a particular emphasis on economic hardships facing Americans—especially in the Black community. He urges Democrats and voters to focus on “affordability” and “safety” rather than getting distracted by issues like redistricting (though he acknowledges their importance). The show features a robust discussion with former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who analyzes the state of the U.S. military, global strategy (particularly regarding Iran and China), Democratic Party prospects, and his own potential 2028 presidential run.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Monologue: Cutting Through the Noise

[01:13–26:14]

• Stephen A. speaks from the heart about the state of America under President Trump, focusing especially on the Black community’s concerns and the diminishing impact of the Voting Rights Act (redistricting/Supreme Court rulings).

• Emphasizes the importance of “winning” in politics over emotional reactions—urges listeners to focus on workable strategies, not just outrage.

• Key Point: “If you indeed desire to compromise the potency and the power of this president and this administration… I'm strongly advising you not to focus too much on [voting rights/redistricting], because it ain't gonna work.” (04:14, Stephen A. Smith)

• Polls show deep national dissatisfaction:

  • 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s economic handling.
  • 77% (including many Republicans) blame Trump for cost-of-living increases.

• Memorable quote: “Affordability was what he ran on… but absolutely, positively would need to be concerned about when it came to Kamala Harris and her administration if indeed she had won… Focus on that and not the other things.” (05:14, Stephen A. Smith)

2. Responding to Criticism in The Guardian

[06:59–17:11]

• Stephen A. reads from, and rebuts, a personal critique by Etan Thomas in The Guardian, accusing him of attacking Black athletes and parroting right-wing talking points.
• Key Point: Stephen A. defends his approach as fair and fact-based, not partisan:
  • “Do I parrot those talking points or do I highlight what their talking points are so you will know what they are and know how to combat them effectively?” (10:52, Stephen A. Smith)
• Clarifies his stance on racism: It still exists, but “it's not the same” as pre–Civil Rights era.
  • “Who said that racism didn’t exist? What I said is that it’s not the same. Of course it exists, but it’s not the same.” (13:02, Stephen A. Smith)
• Defends coverage of sports and politics; distinguishes factual reporting from personal attacks.

3. Political Strategy: What Matters to Voters

[15:00–25:14]

• Redistricting:
  • Acknowledge its critical impact on Black representation, but argues both parties are guilty; “there are no victims on Capitol Hill. The victims are us, the American people…” (15:57, Stephen A. Smith)
• Winning issues in 2026 & 2028 elections:
  • Affordability and safety—not redistricting, identity politics, or Trump’s personal drama.
  • “Most American citizens are not going to care when the midterms arrive… They’re going to care about affordability and they’re going to care about safety in the streets.” (18:47, Stephen A. Smith)
• Critique of Trump:
  • “I can look at this president and say, he ain’t doing a good job. He damn sure ain’t doing the job that he’s promised. All he’s done is talk a bunch of mess and make sure him, his cronies and his family members have been enriched. And it has been at the expense thus far of the American people.” (25:14, Stephen A. Smith)

4. Trump’s Neglect of American Concerns

[30:53–33:36]

• Trump’s own words while in China, when asked if he’s considering Americans’ economic struggles in Iran negotiations:

  • “Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters… they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about American financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.” (31:03, quoting Trump)

• Stephen A. outraged at this attitude:

  • “That’s inexcusable... Can't say that when you're the President of the United States, that's the kind of stuff that'll lose you elections.” (31:03, Stephen A. Smith)

• Business delegation to China:

  • Highlights involvement of U.S. business elites (Musk, Cook, Huang, Fink, Schwarzman, Ortberg, etc.)—which both he and callers find troubling as it spotlights the divide between elite interests and everyday Americans.

5. Listener Calls: Public Sentiment & Legacy

[33:55–43:06]

• Caller Hilton: Suggests Stephen A. should run for president.
  • Stephen A. dismisses idea humorously and critiques both parties’ failure to serve ordinary Americans:
    • “You have to be willing to cross the aisle and negotiate… everyone doesn’t get everything they damn want.” (34:52, Stephen A. Smith)
• Caller Jackie: Frustrated by the billionaire presence on Trump’s trip to China—Stephen A. agrees it’s about who gets rich:
  • “The problem is the few are getting richer. And there’s a bigger gap… because the haves… are just taking and taking and taking…” (37:24, Stephen A. Smith)
• Emphasizes economic inequality and misallocation of government funds towards special interests vs. American households.

6. Hakeem Jeffries’ Statement & Rebuttal

[44:28–48:20]

• Stephen A. plays a statement from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:
  • Denounces “unprecedented assault on black political representation.” (44:28, Hakeem Jeffries)
• Stephen A. respects Jeffries’ passion, but counters that economic issues will decide elections:
  • “Although there are an abundance of people who believe that the Democrats will win because the GOP can't get black votes... most people don’t care. Not when they’re worried about affordability and safety.” (45:35, Stephen A. Smith)
• Repeats economic stats: inflation, gas, paychecks, debt—“Focus on that. Not identity politics.” (48:20, Stephen A. Smith)

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In-Depth Interview: Rahm Emanuel

U.S. Military & National Security

[53:34–59:23]

• Emanuel laments Trump’s administration “discarding” top military talent and undermining the only U.S. institution widely respected by the public.
• Quote: “Now under Secretary of Defense Hag Zest and Donald Trump, 20 plus military leaders for no reason have been fired. Now you would have saw that in China or Russia. We're destroying the actual merit based system...” (54:22, Rahm Emanuel)
• Argues for a "revolution" in military thinking—not destruction, but modernization and innovation.
  • Prioritize tech (drones, cyber), break up Big Five military-industrial complex’s chokehold.
  • “Nothing is on time or on budget...” (57:17, Rahm Emanuel)

Iran & War Policy

[59:23–64:57]

• Explains Iran’s strategic advantage over the Strait of Hormuz equals a “nuclear option” for world economy.
• Critiques Trump’s decisions, calling war with Iran a “war of choice and a bad war”—previous presidents turned down Israel’s push for U.S. strikes.
• Quote: “We literally had [Iran] in a corner. We got them out of the corner with this. This was a mistake—this was a war of choice.” (62:18, Rahm Emanuel)

China: Strategic Threat

[64:57–68:57]

• China’s long-term goal is to supplant U.S. as the “primary military, economic and political power.”
• Emanuel warns the U.S. is “forfeiting the game” via under-investment in education, research, and lack of will to compete, not just Chinese ambition.
• Quote: “I’m not scared of China. I’m scared of what America is not doing.” (65:49, Rahm Emanuel)

Urban Governance & Law and Order

[68:57–71:52]

• Rahm’s view: cities need both affordability + public safety, not just redistribution. Highlights urban reforms in Chicago, acknowledges mistakes.
• Quote: “Reforming government, making it more accountable, accessible is a Good thing. But also... most importantly, performing.” (69:47, Rahm Emanuel)

2028 Presidential Prospects

[71:52–77:52]

• Confirms he’s seriously considering a run; wants to present a positive, growth-oriented Democratic alternative.
• Addresses concerns about antisemitism potentially blocking a Jewish president:
  • “My faith is not your issue. The fact that Americans have lost faith in America... that's our collective faith. We need to work on [that]." (73:15, Rahm Emanuel)
• Admits to mistakes as Chicago mayor, but frames them as opportunities for learning and growth.
• On the party’s future: “Identity politics is bad strategy and bad politics… speak to something... that unites people.” (80:57, Rahm Emanuel)

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Memorable Quotes

• Stephen A.: "There are no victims on Capitol Hill. The victims are us, the American people that are played like suckers all the damn time." (15:57)
• Stephen A.: "If Trump passed gas, they'd call it perfume. That's what they'd say. That's what they'd swear. That's how pathetic it is." (88:32)
• Rahm Emanuel: “President Trump's personal relationships is not America's national security, it's his personal interest.” (67:54)
• Rahm Emanuel: “My faith's not your problem. The fact that the American people have lost faith in America, that's our problem. Let's work on our problem.” (73:15)

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Notable Moments

• Stephen A. jumps between his unique blend of sports analysis, personal experience, and political critique, deftly managing listener calls and heavyweight political interview.
• Rahm Emanuel details specific reforms for military, education, and tax policy, establishing himself as a policy-driven centrist and pragmatic Democrat.

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Important Timestamps

• 01:11–26:14—Stephen A. monologue: Trump, redistricting, economic stats, personal critique
• 31:03—Trump quote dismissing American economic concerns in Iran negotiations
• 33:55–43:06—Caller segment: Legacy, billionaire influence, economic frustration
• 44:28–48:20—Hakeem Jeffries statement; Stephen A. rebuts identity-vs-economic politics
• 53:34–77:52—Rahm Emanuel interview: military, Iran, China, urban issues, 2028 run
• 80:57—Rahm Emanuel on dangers of identity politics
• 88:32—Stephen A. on MAGA loyalty to Trump

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Summary: Tone & Flow

• Direct, passionate, and unsparing.
  Stephen A. is frank with his criticisms—of Trump, Democrats, the media, and activists who focus on “woke” politics rather than bread-and-butter issues. He speaks with urgency, often repeating the need for “strategy, not emotion.”

• Pragmatic and self-reflective.
  Both Stephen A. and Rahm Emanuel openly discuss mistakes, legacy, and the necessity of compromise and cross-aisle negotiation for real progress.

• Inclusive of listener voices.
  Throughout, Smith fields calls across the political spectrum, ultimately reinforcing a theme: Americans want tangible results on the economy, safety, and good governance—not endless distractions or partisan purity.

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For Listeners: Why Listen?

• Strategic political analysis: If you want to understand not just what is happening in Washington but why—and what levers actually move voters and policy.
• Unfiltered perspectives: Stephen A. brings his signature intensity, refusing to toe any party line and challenging both sides.
• Timely interview: Rahm Emanuel offers a policy-heavy, refreshingly candid view of the Democratic Party’s prospects and America’s global position.
• Real talk: Grounded in everyday American issues—affordability, safety, accountability.

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[End of Summary]

Transcript

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[Stephen A. Smith]

Straight Shooter with Stephen A.

What's up everybody?

Welcome to this latest edition of 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 airwaves with SiriusXM POTUS Radio Channel 124. Number to call up, as always, is 866-967-6887. That's 8669-676887-86696. POTUS here with you for the next two hours. Feel free to call in Rahm Emanuel, former Chief of Staff for the White House during the Obama administration, former mayor of the City of Chicago, potential Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States in 2028. Based on what we've been seeing him do lately in terms of op eds and appearances on podcasts and things of that nature, he will be on the show at the top of hour number two. This is a difficult opening monologue that I'm about to give because, to be quite honest with you, usually in preparation for my shows and stuff like that, I do my research and, you know, do what the information essentially tells me and convey my thoughts to the listeners and the viewers out there. This is not that. This is me speaking purely from the heart, speaking about issues pertaining to all Americans, of course, but specifically the black community. For this particular opening monologue, in light of what we have been seeing going on, we know that the President is in China. We know that his popularity is diminishing. Before our very eyes, we saw the redistricting issue take fold, particularly with the Supreme Court's ruling a couple of weeks ago. And how many folks, particularly in the black community, feels this is the compromising and the clear scaling back of the Voting Rights act of 1965. And that is something that we have been talking about ad nauseam. I'm here to tell you that although those feelings are legitimate and that clearly the numbers of black representatives are threatening to diminish, and it is a valid concern. Make no mistake about it, because I dedicated an entire show to it, let me be the first to say to all of us who are concerned about that issue, if you indeed, if you indeed desire to compromise the potency and the power of this president and this administration, and you want to do so in an effective legislative fashion as opposed to emotion, I'm strongly advising you not to focus too much on that issue, because it ain't gonna work.

When I sit here and I talk

about these issues, I'm talking about what's about winning. I'm not caught up in my feelings.

I'm caught up. I'm caught up in doing something about it. I am a person that does not like autonomy in our government. If we got a Republican in the White House, I damn sure want Democrats in one, if not both houses of Congress, because I want that power checked. That's how I am. Because I don't trust one party rule in this country. Because we've got a bunch of gluttonous people, too damn greedy and ultimately too selfish, having proven time after time after time again that they can't be trusted to look out for the interests of the American people above looking out for the interest of themselves. That has been my position for many years, long before I had a political show, long before I talked politics. If you asked me, that's what I told you. It hasn't changed. But the reason why that's important is because as we look at a plethora of issues that are going on, it all comes back to what matters to us most, affordability. The President and his cronies and his family members and stuff like that are getting paid and the American people are suffering because of it. We know what the polls have shown. According to the new CNN poll, 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, a benchmark that never crossed 50% in its first term. Even during the pandemic, 77% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans say Trump's policies have driven up the cost of living and in their own communities. Affordability was what he ran on. Affordability was what he swore that Americans would not have to be concerned about with him, but absolutely, positively would need to be concerned about when it came to Kamala Harris and her administration if indeed she had won the White House based off of what they saw Biden do. I point these things out and I'm saying along the way, focus on that and not the other things. And then I read an article in

the Guardian about yours truly, Stephen A. Smith.

In the interest of full disclosure, the

article was written by a former NBA player, Etan Thomas, who's a smart dude who is a good player, and I'm not here to cast any aspersions on him as a human being. I think he's a bright brother who's clearly emotional and devoid of facts or an unwillingness to hear facts and instead is getting caught up in his emotion and wants to talk about moi.

And the only reason I'm bringing it up on this platform is because it's relevant to the kind of things that I'm going to talk about all show long. Let me read a couple of graphs

as to what they said about me in this article written authored by Eton Thomas. What does he say?

The title of the article, first of

all, is I can tell Stephen A. Smith why many Black people don't like Them. Okay, I won't bring up the fact that I go throughout the streets of America and I get black love from everywhere. But that's a story for another day. Instead, let me read to you what he said. Couple of graphs Far too often, Stephen A. Smith, you attack black male athletes in particular Kyrie Irving, Kwame Brown, LeBron James, Terrell Owens and Kevin Durant are just a few of your targets with the passion and vitriol you just don't reserve for white athletes and white executives. It doesn't stop there, though.

You parrot right wing talking points as

you did earlier this year when you said that racism isn't as prevalent in the United States as some on the left claim.

You went on to argue that most

Americans judge people based on their character rather than skin color, which is not the experience of most black people in the United States in the midst of ISIS brutalization of large parts of the country. You blamed Renee Good for her own death at the hands of federal agents.

You didn't claim that people celebrated ICE

under Obama but are condemning Trump. That's not the only time you were sympathetic to the President, you called Democrats

efforts to hold Trump accountable in the

courts as lawfare, end quote.

It's particularly galling for black people when

you chastise black athletes at the same time as minimizing a president who is convicted of 34 felonies. You're not much better with black politicians. You attacked Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett for not being respectful enough to Trump. I stop there. The misrepresentations that I read in print about the things that I say sometimes are just nauseating. It makes me want to throw up. It's a lie. It's a lie.

First of all, on the issue of

the black athletes, ladies and gentlemen, I cover sports as my day job.

If one black athlete is going against

another and I'm calling the athlete out for his lack of production, I'm obviously applauding the other athlete that succeeded, did I not?

And if you do something that ends

up in the police blotters, am I supposed to ignore it?

And if you do something in the world of sports that compromises the position

of your team, and I'm talking about

that and the detrimental effect that you

had on the team, because that's my job, to cover the team as a beat writer and a columnist and ultimately a pundit on television and radio. That's attacking a black athlete, or is that pointing out the juxtaposition between that person and the 99% of them who don't find themselves in those predicaments because I celebrate them. But that's neither here nor there. Let's get to a more specific thing that was being said when it talked about how I parrot right wing talking points.

Do I parrot those talking points or do I highlight what their talking points are so you will know what they are and know how to combat them effectively? Evidently, the Democratic Party didn't listen. Otherwise Trump would be back in office. You impeached them twice. You convicted them of 34 felony counts. But somehow, some way, we live in a society where you can't vote if you're a convicted felon, but evidently you could be the president. Nothing stopping you. Make it make sense. How in the hell can you be prohibited from voting as a citizen because you're a convicted felon, but the Constitution allows you to actually still run for president. And when do you know what that they were saying during the campaign that

Donald Trump could actually be president from prison because there was nothing in the Constitution to prohibit it? Am I pointing that out and saying essentially it's fool's goal?

Because even if you get them you

can't get them because you can't stop them from winning.

Who proved to be right?

That would be me.

There's another point to bring up. It said, I went on to argue that most Americans judge people based on the character of their skin rather than.

Rather than the skin color. Character based on their character rather than the skin color, which is not the experience of most black folks.

I said that racism isn't as prevalent

in the US as someone the left claim. Do you have ancestors? Do you have grandparents? Do you have elder parents? Do you have aunts and uncles? Do you have people that were born

well before 1967, which is when I was born? Because they all tell me it's nothing

compared to what it once was.

Getting to the back of the bus, not being allowed to eat in restaurants, not being allowed to use the same bathrooms and the same water fountains. Who said that racism didn't exist? What I said is that it's not the same. Of course it exists, but it's not the same. It's a crime to highlight that. How about this one? In the midst of ISIS brutalization of large parts of the country, you blame Renee Goode for her own death. What I said was it was heinous for the officer to do. Where's your decency? Yes. She put herself in that position. And from a legal perspective, she's going to. The officer is going to get off because he was in front of the vehicle or near the side of the vehicle, and she drove off and almost hit him, and as a result, he shot. That's what I said. I didn't say that was the right thing to do. I didn't say he was justified in doing it. I said he's not. Nothing's going to happen to him. Was I wrong?

It also says. That I claim that people celebrated ICE under Obama but are condemning Trump. What I said was that Obama deported 3.1 million million people, and CNN and other networks were doing features on ice. Trump hasn't deported that many yet. And there was this whole brouhaha that happened to be factually correct. Why is all of this relevant to today's subject that involves Trump having to go to China, dealing with the Strait of Hormuz, in the war with Iran. What's the relevancy to this and all of that?

It's very simple, ladies and gentlemen. Those are the real issues that are going to determine how people vote in the midterms.

The redistricting issue is incredibly unfortunate. Do I think it's intentional on the part of the Republicans to compromise the black vote and win additional seats that they could have in the House throughout the country. You damn right I believe that. Of course I believe that. But hasn't that always been the case? It's just that it usually happens every 10 years. Not in the midst of. Of administrations being in office. And in the same breath in between those 10 year periods every decade, usually wait a decade to do that.

And then maps are redrawn and places get redistrict with Democrats and Republicans both vying for additional seats. I've heard Minority Speaker Hakeem Jeffries speaking against this. I heard him talk about how the Republicans are doing this because they have no plan. I agree with him because I haven't heard much of a plan, nor have I seen it. But in order for me to obliviate over it exponentially, I got to sit up there and look at the Democrats and say, did you do it? And if the answer is yes, that's the game y' all play. There are no victims on Capitol Hill. The victims are us, the American people that are played like suckers all the damn time.

But you didn't hear that, Eton Thomas, did you? You went and wrote your article in the Guardian. I'd encourage everybody to go read it. Go do that. It ain't gonna change me one bit. Because the truth is the truth. You can spin and misconstrue what I said and try to paint it as I said something that I didn't say.

I'm talking about winning. You got Trump dead to rights if you're the Democratic Party right now. Have you ever heard Hakeem Jeffries sound as confident as he sounded when he talked about how they're going to reclaim the House of Representatives in the midterms? I haven't heard him this confident in

years because he knows Trump's messing up.

Have you seen Trump?

One minute the reporters are stupid.

Another minute they don't know what they talking about. Have you seen the three hour span in which he put out like 25

posts on his Truth social media account

in three hours, from like 10 in

the evening to 1 in the morning?

I mean, it was straight out of Cat Williams doing stand up when he sit up there and talked about Trump. Here it is. And sending out the post, losing his

damn mind,

talking about former President Barack Obama should be arrested for treason, talking about Kamala Harris, talking about Democrats, talking about everybody while threatening South Carolina that he's going to do to them what he successfully has done in Indiana because they didn't agree to his redistricting plan. So he backed like seven candidates in primaries and six of them won.

I'm talking about winning. I am fully aware of some of the highly questionable things that the Republican Party has done since civil rights in 1964, since voting rights in 1965. Don't get me started with the white Southern Strategy, Richard Nixon and others and the role they played in it. I kind of know. The point is, whether we like it or not, most American citizens are not going to care when the midterms arrive in about 25 weeks and a presidential election arrives in 2028. They're going to care about affordability and they're going to care about safety in the streets. My man Charlemagne Nagar for the Breakfast Club says that all the time. It ain't me. I don't want to steal his words. That's what he says all the time. Affordability and safety.

That's what people are going to care about. Redistricting, of course, is important. Of course it is.

But didn't folks, folks failed to show up to the polls extensively for Kamala Harris compared to how many people showed up to the polls for Biden in 2020. Isn't that true? Isn't it true that you had young folks out here, some leaning towards Trump

more than any Republican candidate had received in the modern era? Isn't it true that those who didn't lean towards Trump said, bump it? I'm not interested in voting at all because my vote doesn't matter. And you have politicians and pundits and surrogates and everybody in between coming to everybody in America saying, tell people to go to the polls and vote because

you know, it was a struggle to get them to do it. If it was a struggle to get them to do it. Do you think they're paying attention? Attention to redistricting? I know they should be paying attention. I believe in the power of the vote. I believe that change is initiated by voting.

I believe we owe it to our

ancestors to get your behind to the polls.

They died. They put their lives on the line. They put their, well, beings on the line for us to have the right to vote. I get it.

We're not talking about that, though. We're talking about what it takes to win and simply avoiding being transactional when it comes to politics. As my man Tramell Thompson all over social media with his progressive page. Go look at it.

Tramell Thompson, check it out. Talks about being transactional as opposed to being unconditionally loyal to a party where you're sitting up there and you're transparent in your support for them so much, so flagrantly that they never have to work for your vote cuz they know they got it. The other side isn't interested in working for your vote because they know they'll never get it. And as a result, you're the only people that are disenfranchised. I'm talking about us.

We don't talk about that. We got serious issues going on in this country, going on in this world, and somebody tried to use me talking about sports and people's performances on the field and inside the locker room and how beneficial or detrimental those behaviors were to the ultimate results of a team and they tried to turn that into political fodder. That's a game for children, not grown ass adults who understand the difference between the two, the dichotomy that should exist and move forward accordingly. There's a lot of things to complain about. Inflation spiked 3.8% in April as the Iran war pushed the national average price of gas above $4.50 a gallon. Economists fear the energy shock is beginning to ripple through the broader economy, pushing up the cost of groceries, airfare and electricity. Paychecks are shrinking. Yesterday's inflation report showed that prices are outpacing wages for the first time in three years, erasing gains in real purchasing power as it pertains to the American household. American households have absorbed a nearly 30% rise in consumer prices since the pandemic, a cumulative wound that has never fully healed, according to Axios Courtney Brown. Debt is mounting. Americans are increasingly leaning on credit cards and loans to absorb rising costs, with consumer borrowing posting its biggest monthly jump in March since late 2022. You see what I just said? You want to get Trump's ass, That's how you get him. You want to get at the president and his administration. You point out this and accuse him of a dereliction of duty. Redistricting, again, is important, I understand. And as a black man, I'm appalled at anything that compromises us as a people and the potency we've worked diligently to grasp and to gather, spanning decades, if not centuries. It doesn't get lost on me,

but

I'm not one to sit over the microphone and talk about things that are futile. I'm about strategizing how to get things done, to make sure that the results that we aspire to achieve ultimately happen because we're pointing to the things that matter to the everyday American people. I'm not going to look at every Republican and think they're evil. And I'm not going to look at every Democrat and think they're good. But I can look at this president and say, he ain't doing a good job. He damn sure ain't doing the job that he's promised. All he's done is talk a bunch of mess and make sure him, his cronies and his family members have been enriched. And it has been at the expense thus far of the American people. And it is my sincere hope that it cost the GOP the midterms at this moment in time.

Why?

Because they've been complicit in allowing him to get away with the nonsense that he has gotten away with not prioritizing America's interest the way that he is supposed to prioritize it.

Simple and plain. Simple and plain.

He's going to have his cult following out there, swearing up and down he's doing the right things, but in the same breath, his secretary of war is sitting up there talking about, we have a strategy, but it's not convincing. His vice president is talking to farmers and folks in the agriculture industry, begging them for patience. But this is the same people that were telling you folks on the left didn't know what the hell they were doing, they were incompetent. But affordability has become even more of an issue than it was before. Those are the issues that I'm talking about. That's my perspective. You want to come at me, at least have the decency to get it right. Don't interpret, don't construe, don't mince words. Don't sit up there and talk about it. It seems like it thought, like it sounded like, this is what you did. When it's not true, you full of it. But that's the case with most folks these days when they don't hear what they want to hear. There are people that are out there all about bitching and moaning, I'm trying to win. And I don't give a damn who's in the White House. It just doesn't need to be this man. Not with what we've seen thus far, not with what we're fearing, and not with a multitude of qualified candidates on both sides of the aisle that would carry themselves differently, that would perform differently, and that would never say during wartime, at a time when gas prices and groceries and rent and mortgage and everything else is rising before our very eyes. And this man had the audacity, unmitigated goal to come out of his mouth and say, I'm not thinking about the American citizen one bit. When it comes to the war with Iran, I'm not thinking about them at all in the cost of living. Really? I guess you are a billionaire after all, huh? Here's the problem. I know plenty of billionaires that would never think to say that out of their mouths. But Trump would. He has. So what you gonna do about it? Guard that pun intended Straight shooter with Stephen A in the house. Back with your calls and more in a minute.

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[Caller]

When you're in a book meeting with Iran Mr. President, to what extent are American financial situations motivating you to make a deal?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about American financial situation.

I don't think about anybody. I don't think about America's financial situation. I don't think about anybody. That's what he said. Inexcusable. May or may not have meant it. I'm not in his heart and soul. I don't know. Can't say that when you're the President of the United States, that's the kind of stuff that'll lose you elections. And when you are GOP candidates and I'm not here to castigate either side, I'm here to call balls and strikes. You cannot Sit there and let this man be as negligent as he has been when it comes to the issue pertinent to the American people and do nothing. There's, you know, what? The war with Iran. Not making sure they don't get a nuclear weapon. I get that. Where's the strategy to make sure they didn't take over the Strait of Hormuz? According to Iran, they plan on making more money patrolling the Strait of Hormuz

than they would make exporting oil. Because 20% of the world's oil reserves comes right through there. And since they're controlling it, they're in a. They're in a pristine position. Oh, by the way, some boat for China was allowed to go through without paying any kind of toll. It was considered a gesture to China as Trump was en route to China to visit with its leadership. So Trump ain't the only one who thinks he's playing chess. Evidently, Iran is as well. Did you know, ladies and gentlemen, that 17 key business leaders associate accompanied Trump to China?

Let's look at the list here. Elon Musk, of course. Tim Cook for Apple, of course. Jensen Huang, Nvidia. Worth over a trillion dollars. By the way, he went. Larry Fink for BlackRock, he went. Stephen Schwarzman for Blackstone, he went.

Kelly Ortberg for Boeing.

He's there.

Jane Frazier for City, he's there. David Solomon for Goldman Sachs, he's there. Cristiano Armand Qualcomm, he's there. Dina Powell McCormick for Meta.

She's there.

Administration officials and family. Eric Trump and Lara Trump. Marco Rood. Thank God. Marco Rood. We got somebody from the administration that's actually supposed to be there. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State. Pete Hegseth.

What's the Defense secretary doing in China for a negotiation? Why?

Scott Bessant, Treasure, Treasury Secretary.

I understand him. What's Pete hegseth doing there? 866-967. 6887. That's 86696. Polters, you listen live to Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Hilton in Florida. You're live with Stephen A. What's going on? Hilton, how are you? You live on Straight Shooter. What's up?

[Caller]

How you doing?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm doing all right.

Thank you for calling.

Go ahead.

[Caller]

I'm enjoying your show, but this is a. This is a hypothetical question. Are you concerned about your legacy?

Because we need you to run in 28.

We need you. And I know you could win.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Oh, I could win the Democratic nomination. I think I could do that in my sleep. I ain't gonna lie to you. And it ain't because I'm so I'm qualified or anything like that. It's because they don't have candidates. Who you gonna run? The progressive left is too extreme. The centrists are alienated by the progressive left, all right? And the lack of leadership within the party is very, very flagrant. I'm not gonna tolerate it, I can

tell you that right now.

You know, if I ran, I can

tell you right now, it would be a different stamp.

So I ain't taking mess from these people. This is nonsense.

You understand? You have to be willing to cross

the aisle and negotiate.

You have to understand that everybody doesn't

get to get everything they damn want.

Sacrifices are called upon by both sides and it's important that both sides understand that. Because the reality is is that when they don't, you're scaring the living hell out of the American people because you're giving them the impression that the world is coming to an end just because they didn't get everything they want. That's not the real world. In terms of being concerned about my legacy, no, I am not. What I've done, I've done primarily in the world of sports.

And quite frankly, I've done it at

a very elite level.

God has blessed me.

So have the supporters that I've had,

mentors and friends and beyond. I have a great, great job in the daytime at ESPN with phenomenal bosses.

I've got a great, great job in

the afternoons right here at Sirius XM

on the sports side with phenomenal bosses.

I have a wonderful, wonderful life.

I'm not worried about my legacy because a few trolls want to get out there and give the impression that the vast majority of folks from my own community are against me when I got people calling up on this show. And I walk the streets of America every damn day and I get nothing

but love from black folks.

Nothing but love. So those people, those few people that want to come at me, if you want to come at me with something substantive to argue, I got that because. Because I'm open minded. And if I'm wrong, I'm open to being corrected. But if your inclination is to insult

me first, you can kiss my ass twice. I don't care. I'm the wrong one for that.

And that's the way I been, Hilton.

And that's the hell the way I'm going to stay.

[Caller]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Have a nice 100 behind you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I appreciate you have a nice evening.

Jackie in Illinois, you are live with

Stephen A. Jackie, Good Evening. How are you?

[Caller]

Hi, Stephen. I'm doing okay.

[Stephen A. Smith]

It's great. Thank you.

[Caller]

Tolerate what is going on. And I just. The list that you read off of people that went with Trump to China, it makes me sick. It just makes me sick. You know, Laura and Eric, Trump, really. Give me a break. I don't know how people are not seeing that these millionaires and billionaires are just getting richer and richer and richer.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And let me say this. Let me say. Jackie, let me say this to you on the phone.

I don't want you to go there. I don't have a problem with people getting richer.

I have a problem with it being

at the expense of the American people.

If we're getting richer, too, I'm good with it.

Doesn't bother me.

My problem is the few are getting richer. And there's a bigger gap, a gulf fomenting and proliferating before our very eyes between the rich and the poor. Because the haves, they're just taking and taking and taking even more. And those who don't ain't getting anything from this administration. That's my issue.

That's my issue.

If you show that the American people are benefiting, that inflation isn't outpacing paychecks, I'm good with you. I'm good.

That's not what's happening with this administration.

[Caller]

I'm okay with that. And I agree with you on that. My whole thing is, I know way too many people, they don't have a dime to put in the stock market, you know?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah.

[Caller]

They are living from check to check.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Same here.

[Caller]

And it is at the expense of people that are just playing behind the scenes, getting. Getting money.

[Stephen A. Smith]

It's been going on, though, Jackie.

And that's the problem.

See? And that's where folks on the left get upset at me for bringing this up. Because, for example, when we're $39 trillion in debt, when the stock market is compromised, when inflation is relevant, when a recession is being feared and all of this other stuff, they act like it's the actions of one administration, when in fact, it's a rippling effect because both sides of the aisle have contributed to all of this. 39 trillion in debt wasn't accumulated over one administration. Wasn't accumulated over three administrations. You understand?

And then when you talk about wars,

I mean, how much, how much, how

much money have we spent on a

war with Iran already?

We've spent over 30 billion. 30 billion. This is a problem, you understand? But we couldn't have 2 billion to spend over a month for TSA workers, but we got 2 billion a day to spend on a war nobody asked for. See, this is the problem, and that's the kind of stuff that we got to speak against. We got to make sure that redistricting is a very, very important issue, particularly

to black folks in this country.

I get it. But we have to understand that when the midterms come, that's not what they're going to be thinking about. We got to attack the issues that they're going to be thinking about, because he's laid it on a silver platter for folks that are opposed to his policies and his leadership. He's laid it out there for them. $13 million to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. 100 million on a triumphal arch. $1 billion on a white House ballroom, with Senator Thune telling us he's gonna play for the ballroom himself. It's just that security is what's gonna cost the United States government. Bottom line is $1 billion. It's $1 billion. So if we got the money to do all of these other things, how come you can't have the money to take care of the American people first? Why can't you do that? That's the point. You got him dead to rights. He wants you to get distracted with the redistricting. He wants you to get distracted with these other issues. He wants you to get distracted with his behavior. He wants that because it prevents you from being focused on his f ups and the false promises that he made. I'm saying stay focused. And I'm not talking about Republicans. I'm talking about him. And if I'm talking about a Republicans, it's because they've been complicit with allowing him to get away with the things that he's gotten away with.

Obviously, I'm not talking about Representative Massey.

I'm not talking about Republicans who have been against him.

I'm talking about those who have been complicit. That's where I'm at. There's a tweet that Trump has come out with. This is what he said in his post on Truth Social Media earlier Wednesday, that it was, quote, unquote, an honor to have business leaders join the triple, which is his first to China in nearly a decade. Quote, I will be asking President Xi, a leader of extraordinary distinction, to open up China so that these brilliant people can work their magic and help bring the People's Republic to an even higher level. In fact, I promise that when we are together, which will be in a matter of hours, I will make that my very first request. That's what he said. It's a request.

It's a request.

Jackie, thank you so much for the call. I really appreciate it. Feel free to call back anytime. Take care of yourself. Anna in California, you're live with Stephen, A straight shooter. How are you, Anna? How's everything?

[Caller]

Hi, Steven. Oh, my God. I've been laughing my little booty off. I really didn't have a political question because I could just go on and on and on and on, blah, blah, blah. I just wanted to tell you that it took me a minute to kind of get used to you because you're very intense. Like, your intensity. I was. So I just. I'm amazed. And I just want to tell you that here's a white woman out in California that loves you. I love you, dude.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I love you back.

[Caller]

I love you like it is. And you know what? I think that every black person in this whole entire world loves you just the same. And you keep your head up and I love you, bro.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you so much, Anna. I appreciate the call. That means a lot to me. It really, really does. Thank you so much. 866-967-6887. That's 86696. POTUS back with your calls. Close out hour number one before Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff of the White House, comes on the show. In hour number two, Stick around. It's straight shoot in the house with your boy Stephen A. Don't go away.

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[Susan Del Bene]

And so Susan Del Bene said earlier today, we're going to win back control of the house and the big fight will be what happens in between 2026 and 2028. Because we know this unprecedented, unprecedented assault on black political representation, the likes of which we have not seen since the Jim Crow era. The ghosts of the Confederacy has afflicted the United States Supreme Court majority and is invading and haunting the nation right now. And we take that seriously and we know it going to continue. Which is why Democrats are committed to launching a decisive and overwhelming response in advance of the 2028 election to ensure that it's the American people who are the ones who get to decide who's in the majority in the House, who's in the majority in the Senate, and ultimately in 2028, who gets elected as the next President of the United States.

[Stephen A. Smith]

States of America. 52 minutes past hour. Number one back here on Straight Shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. Smith. That was House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries saying what can only be termed as far as I'm concerned, is profound words coming from this black man who happens to be serving in the House of Representatives. I like Hakeem Jeffries. I respect him and I respect his passion on this particular issues because obviously it affects him, it affects his contemporaries, it affects the black community, whether we want to admit it or not. But here's the reality of the situation. Although there are an abundance of people who believe that the Democrats will win because the GOP can't get black votes unless they appeal to black voters, and that they'll never appeal to black voters because their entire agenda is to appeal to white voters. That's what a lot of people believe about the GOP. That's what they believed since the 60s. That's what they believe since the white Southern strategy. That's what they believe today. Even more so, because if Trump doesn't instigate that kind of thinking, he certainly fuels it once it's apparent. And I don't think anybody can deny that. Having said that, my position is that doesn't mean you'll win the election when it really, really counts. You can win states like New York and California, blue states. But if you're going to really, really resonate profoundly from a general perspective, you're going to have to have more than that. Because the fact of the matter is most people don't care. Not when they're worried about affordability issues and safety. And affordability issues are an issue and Trump has gift wrapped it. This to the Democratic Party. I'm going to repeat what's going on here. 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy. 77% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, say his policies have driven up the cost of living in their own communities. Inflation spiked 3.8% in April. Gas prices have risen above $4.50 a gallon. Paychecks are shrinking. Yesterday's inflation report showed that prices are outpacing wages for the first time in three years. American households have absorbed a nearly 30% rise in consumer prices since the pandemic. And debt continues to mount. And personal savings rate fell to 3.6%

in March, its lowest since 2022. These are not things that were supposed

to be happening under the Trump administration, but they're happening. Focus on that.

Not identity politics, not woke and culture wars.

And even though you want to fight

the redistricting, don't make that the focal point over those other issues or that'll

get in the way, too. We're talking strategy, not emotion. 866-967-6-887. Back to the phones we go. You're live with Stephen A. How are you?

[Caller]

Hey, Stephen A. How you doing, man?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm all right, thank you.

Go ahead.

[Caller]

I just, I just wanted to say. But I've never really been a fan of yours, like, on espn, like, and, but you, you really have kind of gotten my attention over the last couple months or so since you got your show here. And your voice is really good. Like, I don't understand, like, what you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Tom Thomas.

[Caller]

What? Who?

I understand he's like, an obscure NBA player. And, like, what is.

What is.

What could his drive possibly be here? Like, trying to, like, twist your own spoken word.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let me say something to you. I want to tell you, and I'm not going to share his name because I don't have his permission to do so. But it's a player, former NFL player that I have profound respect for, that is a liberal. He actually said this to me. He said, man, you sound like somebody on the right. I said, I'm not on the right or the left. I'm fair. I call balls and strikes. That's what I do. And he actually said this to me, John. He said to me, you can't do that. He said, I don't give a damn if it is true. Anything you say that is favorable to the right should not be coming out of your mouth. And I said to him, wrong, dude. I don't play that mess. I'm a journalist by trade, and I am incapable of knowing somebody is right about something and being incapable of acknowledging that I can't do that. I can point out a thousand things that Trump does wrong. I didn't vote for him. I don't want him in office. I've said that a thousand times. I'll say it a thousand more times. I don't think he's good for the country.

I'm not going to lie to you, especially now. I think he's worse than he was the first go round.

But there is no denying that on occasion he might do something right. And for me to ignore that is insulting to my audience, is insulting to the American citizens. It's insulting to truth and fairness. I will not do that ever to anyone intentionally. I'm not built of that ilk. I've never been that way and I will never be that way. That is the way that it is and that is the way that it is going to stay. 866-967-6887 that's 86696 POTUS John, appreciate the call man. Thank you so much for calling in. I'll catch you another time. But I really appreciate the call. Thank you. And I'm not going to throw any shade on Eton Thomas. He's a smart brother. I respect him. I just don't like what he wrote. But it is what it is. Rahm Emanuel for former chief of staff of the White House under the Obama administration, former mayor of Chicago. He's up next. Don't go away. It's straight shooting with Stephen A. Back with hour number two in a minute.

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[Rahm Emanuel]

Start starting at $49.99 a month.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Visit simplisafe.com licenses for alarm license information. Tennessee 2012 straight shooter with Stephen A. Welcome album number two Straight Shooter in the house 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 airwaves of SiriusXM POTUS radio channel 124. It is my honor and privilege to have my next guest on the line on with me right now. He's been on here before. He's gonna be on here in the future. I will openly confess to you. He's a friend. You know, his brother's great. He's great. I've known him for years. Got a lot of love for him and looking forward to having this conversation with him. He served as the White House Chief of Staff during Obama's first term, mayor of Chicago, and most recently US Ambassador to Japan. He is now a senior political and global affairs commentator for cnn. Please welcome back to Straight Shooter, the one and only Rahm Emanuel. How are you, buddy? How's everything going?

[Rahm Emanuel]

I'm good, Stephen. Are you?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm doing great. I saw. Let me get right to it because I was reading this article in the Wall Street Journal that you wrote. It's titled the US Military needs Another Revolution. That's what it says here. And my first question, before I asked the question, there was a graph that stood out. And I wanted to read this graph because I want people to get this.

You were talking about the military.

You said the command structure has elevated some of America's most talented sons and daughters and into positions of authority. When I worked with Army Chief of Staff General Randy George and Admiral Lisa Franchetti as the ambassador to Japan, I saw why so many people around the world believe America's military is diplomatically sophisticated, strategically wise and operationally unmatched. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is discarding that talent. I want you to speak to that and speak to to the state of affairs. You think our military exists right now? Presently with our military?

[Rahm Emanuel]

I come from the basis. Look, I have two kids that are part of the US Armed forces in the Navy, both now reservists. I've seen this. I tell you this. Everybody writes about the greatest turnaround. This company, this basketball team. Single greatest turnaround in American history is the US Armed forces took the breadth and depth of all of America after Vietnam. It was flat on its back. It was broken spiritually, it was broken structurally. It was broken on discipline. And in the 40 year trajectory, it is the marvel and the ace and the gold standard around the globe. And I believe, and I saw the talent. I saw Lisa Franchetti. I seen obviously the General Greene. You just look at this talent. And they were admired, respected operationally, diplomatically, strategically and execution wise. And now under Secretary of Defense Hag Zest and Donald Trump, 20 plus military leaders for no reason have been fired. Now you would have saw that in China or Russia. We're destroying the actual merit based system, the only institution that the American people actually respect and hold above 50%. Everything else, me, you, media, financial institutions, corporate America, Nowhere close above 40, the military, and they're actually breaking the one thing that the American people actually hold in high esteem and regard for good reason. They earned it the hard, the hard way. And so that to me is number one. Number two, beyond just, you know, it's not just I have a patriot system. It is the people you invest in, the people you elevate because of the capacity. And then what I also talked about is when you looked at the system, the United States was supposed to be able to fight two wars simultaneously. And now we have to get to a place where we have to fight two different type of wars simultaneously. Neither Iran or Ukraine have a navy and they control the waters on their borders, the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea. So when the President says, oh, Iran's navy is the bottom of the ocean, that is true. But you still can't open the Strait of Hormuz. So you're going to have to have this old system, which is a Goldwater Nichols revolution that actually allows us to fight a conventional, unconventional in two different theaters, two different times, and sometimes in the same theater. And it needs a revolution. Not the destruction of the greatest talent that's ever been assembled since World War II.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But define what a revolution. When you say the word revolution. For those that don't comprehend what specifically you're saying as, as to what should be done, what is that exactly?

What does that look like?

[Rahm Emanuel]

Well, take a look at the two, three things that I make doubt. Well, and I want to use this as a benchmark. Russia is 10 times the size of Ukraine. The war now from Russia's invasion of Ukraine is lasted longer than Russia's invasion of Berlin in the 40s. They have used asymmetrical warfare to hold off and now are starting to gain more territory than Russia's gaining. Russia's losing 50,000 troops a month and Ukraine is gaining 200 square miles a year. That tells you why we're not ahead on Acerman. Do we have Patriots? Yes. Do we have the Thaad? Yes. Do we have the F35? We need that. And we need navy ships. Yes, we need all of that and more. Number one, we have inculcated with the big five military industrial complex failure as a business model. Nothing is on time or on budget six years. No CEO in the corporate street get any stock buybacks at all until they fix the broken system that we have insured. Number two, all new technology. You wall off 40% of it, so the big five cannot compete. And you start actually seed capitalizing new startups in drone, cyber and all the other new technology. And that type of stuff will also bring young men who off the couch out of the basement and be part of something that's important for the national security of America. That revolution. Now, we've failed a touchstone here. In the 80s, we invaded Granada. We found out that our air force couldn't talk to our navy, our Navy couldn't talk to our army. That's what started Goldwater, Nichols, rethinking and integrating. And you saw the execution of that and the capacity of that in Venezuela. We were in space, we were in air, we were on navy, we were in the marines, we were in helicopters, and we were in cyber. An integrated communication system that actually did not lose a single person or a single piece of equipment. We can't do that today. We are 20 times the size of Iran and they now have the nuclear option called the Strait of Hormuz. So we need a revolution in thinking.

[Stephen A. Smith]

When Iran says that they stand to profit more by controlling the Strait of Hormuz compared to them simply exporting oil,

are they telling the truth when they say that?

[Rahm Emanuel]

Absolutely. Their whole theory and the basis here and the reason Bahrain, Qatar and everybody has a basis from the United States is they are a Persian empire of Shiite philosophy, religious views. The rest of the Gulf is Sunni views. Do not want the Persian empire that they have history with. They, number two, have since the revolution of 79, have been determined to kick America out of the Gulf so they can dominate. So when they say we own the Strait of Hormuz, where Kuwait, uae, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, all get, not Oman, but all get their oil out and their energy and their fertilizer and their jet fuel, all of that out one fifth of the world's energy supply. That control would give them control of the world economy and it's a checkmate. If not, it was, I call it the nuclear option on not only the world economy, but the United States. And that's why this was, I think, a war of choice and a bad war. But they're not wrong because they discovered what they didn't think they had or implied that they had, and now they know they have it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, let me ask you this, Rahm Emanuel, you're a Jewish American. And let me ask you this. Trump, it's believed, has worked in concert with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister for Israel on all of this, when he chose to first he bombed them and bombed the nuclear sites last June, swore up and down they were obliterated. And then the next thing you know, he did it again and he went after them again because obviously they were fearful of Iran having a nuclear weapon within a month.

Number one, did you ever believe those

reports that they were on the verge of having a nuclear weapon within a month? And number two, were you supportive of the initial strike against Iran in June? Yes.

I'm not in June. The second go round. The second go round is what I'm asking.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Oh, that's different. No, I wasn't. So, and I'll tell you why one is in a very simple way. Let's look at the before and after. Iran had spent billions and billions of dollars in lost Syria and their, and their public was furious. Hezbollah was back on its heels. They have had five uprisings in 12 years. In each uprising they have had to kill more and more of their own people to the point that for the first time, this last one, the Iranian youth and the Iranian merchants and the middle class were aligned against the government. They had no support in society. They, their economy was crushing back and falling apart. They had an 89 year old head of state who had terminal cancer. They had no succession plan. They were isolated, politically isolated, economically isolated from their own people and strategically on their back foot, they offered everything on the nuclear table that we wanted in Vienna. And that has all been documented. Now I know one thing, being a mayor, being a chief of staff and the senior advisor to two presidents, been in the Oval Office for eight years. You know what ends up in the Oval Office, Stephen? A bad and worse. Those are your only two choices. And you have to have the judgment, smart people around you, the ability to push and ask and learn from mistakes and say, is this bad or is this worse? And how do I turn it? This, we literally had them in a corner. We got them out of the corner with this. This was a mistake. This was a war of choice. This, they had a separation between the government that had to kill more and more Iranians every two years to stay in power. Why would you get, you know the rule of politics, when your enemy or opponent is in the middle of a knife fight with themselves, don't get in the middle of it. Let them go. And that's what we did. We got in the middle of it and saved them.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, so asking you a support of

obvious support of Israel, do you hold Trump most accountable for that? Or do you hold Benjamin Netanyahu as accountable as you hold Trump?

[Rahm Emanuel]

I hold uphold the president of the United States because he has agency. He has responsibility for the American people's and our country's national interest. Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel has shot that policy to Joe Biden, turned it down to Donald Trump. One turned it down to Barack Obama, turned it down to George Bush, turned it down and my memory serves me correctly, a variation of this to President Clinton and turned out but definitely four presidents have all looked at that plan, weighed bad and worse equity and liabilities and said no. Now. So I never ever give a president a pass. They have agency. He could have said no. The prime minister of Israel has shot this plan to four presidents, including Donald Trump 1.0 and all four said no. There's another alternative. And in this case when we did the June bombing, we succeeded in actually creating the conditions where the public were breaking. The society of Iran was breaking from their own government. They were isolated in the region. Their economy was crushed and their surrogate and proxy terrorists were broken. And according to the president, Defense intelligence said something else. Their nuclear capacity was, was obliterated. That was what was before this endeavor.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let me move on. Rahm Emanuel right here with a straight on straight shooter with Stephen A. Let me move to China because that's where the president is right now. You serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan. What is your assessment of the long term strategic threat posed by China?

[Rahm Emanuel]

Well, they have a very, it's a very serious threat, both politically, diplomatically, militarily and economically. And the they have a very clear strategy. They're going to pursue it long term to replace the United States as the primary military, economic and political power in the world. Iran, to your further point, has given them as reported, has given them a unique opening. They're serving energy resources and electricity with solar and wind to the rest of the world while oil is being cut off. They are a helping hand rather than the problem they have actually now will be seen as a place of stability where we're now the chaos machine. So in every and then militarily, while we are focused on the Strait of Hormuz, they're owning the sea, the South China Sea and they've put the Philippines and Vietnam, a treaty ally, the Philippines at risk with us. We have taken military equipment out of South Korea, out of Japan, meant as a deterrent in the region and moved it all to the Middle East. So on the win loss record, again, I think that in the China thing we know they're a threat. And here's the thing, and I say this everywhere I go. STEPHEN A. When I was ambassador to Japan, I learned a lot about the country. I learned a lot about the Indo Pacific. I learned the most about the United States. I'm not scared of China. I'm scared of what America is not doing. China does not decide if 50% of our kids cannot read at grade level, we decide. China does not decide whether we cut the research universities and the NIH and National Science foundation and the cures for cancer and the next energy capability, we decide. China does not decide whether we have only oil and gas or we have all the above energy. We decide. China is pursuing what's in China's interest. We are forfeiting the game in the competition. Never bet against America. But we have decided to bet against America by giving up, throwing in the towel. So do they want to replace us? Yes. You don't have to be paranoid.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But how are we throwing in a towel?

[Rahm Emanuel]

We are not competing, but how are

[Stephen A. Smith]

we throwing in a towel? How are we throwing in a towel?

[Rahm Emanuel]

I'll give you an example. I mean, it's just one little anecdote to illustrate this point.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Sure.

[Rahm Emanuel]

The other day, the New York Times said there was a miracle drug that is now curing pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and all these other cancers. It's the riddle to the biggest problem we have in life sciences. Started with National Institute of Health funding. We're arguing about redistricting and China's doubling their research into life sciences. And the President of the United States has proposed a 40% cut. The National Institute of Health, the gold standard around the globe for life sciences. Number two, we've cut the National Science foundation by 25% and we fired the board. Now I propose ways to double the funding for all of those that's forfeiting when it comes to our kids and our research. When I started in politics, we weren't sure what to do on education, but everybody was ready to try it and experience and be a reformer. Today, based on the Mississippi model that you and I have talked about before, we can actually take in our kids and teach them again how to read. But we lost the political will. We forfeited. We become complacent with failure. This is a country built on the ethos failure is not an option. And we have accepted failure as a business model in our military industrial complex in the fact that we can't teach kids to read at third grade and we've allowed our kids to basically be absent from schools. We're cutting our research. We've decided not to compete on the energy field but to double down on one source. That's what I mean by forfeiting demo effort. Been against America, but you got to actually get in the game. China is pursuing China's interest. We have given up on pursuing America's interests. And President Trump's personal relationships is not America's national security, it's his personal interest.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Rahm Emanuel, the former chief of staff for the White House under the Barack Obama administration, former mayor of Chicago right here with straight on straight shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. I want to go to the blue city issue. Rahm, you are a law and order Democrat who prioritized fiscal pragmatism In Chicago today, many Democratic run cities are struggling obviously with crime, disorder, affordability under a very different ideological approach than one you exercise. Does the Rahm Emanuel model of urban governance even exist in today's Democratic Party in your mind?

[Rahm Emanuel]

Well, there's standouts and one is, let me say this, I'm one data point because I think it's relevant because it gives you confidence you can handle other challenges. In fact, crime is on the way down. But take a look at San Francisco. Three, four years ago you said that's the worst example. Now the mayor Lurie is a friend of mine. We talk quite frequently. He's turned that city around. He's had a growth agenda. He's had a sense of returning the streets to the residents, not to the gang bangers, drug users and the homeless. And he's cleaned up his city and has it on the move again. And people are prospering and people are moving back in. Now there are other mayors that look, I don't accept this. And as an example of what I would say they are doing right on law and order. But you have to actually make the city affordable, accessible and work. We have to take on. I would say this today about housing. Take all my rules and regs and buildings. Put them up against Houston, put them up against Phoenix. Pick another city, put them up against Denver. Now you tell me what's on my book versus all those cities. Why do we have it? We don't have it. Burn it. Get it out of here. Make it easier. I tell this story all the time. When Amy and I was going to rehab, our house took me to I think 19 months to get a permit and 14 to build it. The paper was longer than, than the building process. It's insane. So we have to be upfront. Reforming government, making it more accountable, accessible is a Good thing. But also, most importantly, performing. Etc. Don't be scared of the fight. I took on a lot of fights on education when I walked out. Sean Reardon at Stanford called Chicago public schools the top number one of the top 100. Now, was it easy?

[Caller]

No.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Did I make mistakes? Yes. But we went from a 56% graduation rate to an 84. 67% of our kids went to college and community colleges. We turned the city around and we turned our schools around. It was tough, but we got to understand we need a growth strategy, not just a redistribution strategy. We've got to make the government accountable to the public because the public pays the bills and they need the services. And we just can't accept strangling the city based on a series of interests when the biggest interest you have is the city's long term growth.

[Stephen A. Smith]

On June 5, I read up that you you begin a bike tour of New Hampshire, traveling around the state to talk with voters. Rahm Emanuel, you running for president? You're running for president.

Manning for president.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Free turn. I'm thinking very hard about it. Absolutely. And the reason is I think I have the experience. But more than the experience. Do you have the energy to drive? Do you have the answers to what ails America? If I think when I go around, I meet people at the diners in New Hampshire. I hear the stories of parents or nurses and doctors or other people around. We're going to do town halls every night. If I think I have what ails America, I'll throw my hat in. If I don't, I'll support somebody else. I'm thinking hard about it because I

[Stephen A. Smith]

think you got it. I think you got it. I've known you for years. I think you got it. I think you. And I think I believe in you. But I gotta ask you this though.

[Caller]

Sure.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do you think a Jewish individual would ever be voted into office? That's my concern.

Rahm, when I speak, I never speak against you.

You know me, we go back years.

I never speak against you, but

I

express apprehension as to whether or not you can win.

Because we're living in a times where we see antisemitism growing, not dissipating. And I'm wondering about that for you.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Let me give you three things. Okay?

[Stephen A. Smith]

All right.

[Rahm Emanuel]

My faith. My faith's not your problem. The fact that the American people have lost faith in America, that's our problem. Let's work on our problem. And if my faith is your problem, don't vote for me because I'm not changing it for you. It is who I am, and it grounds me morally and ethically in what it means to be a human being. I have fallen short, and my rabbi reminds me of that. But my faith is not your issue. The fact that Americans have lost faith in America and they think America has lost faith in them, that is our collective faith. We need to work on number two. When I ran for Congress, that seat in Chicago is known as the Polish seat. Dan Rostenkowski, Roman Pucinski, Frank Annunzio, Michael Flanagan, Rob Blagovich. And along comes Rahm Israel Emanuel. Only 2% of that district is Jewish. People didn't look at me as a Jew. They looked at me as a fighter that could know how to fight for them. And the same thing have. And I faced anti Semitism. Then I had to show my birth certificate. Nobody else in the five people did. When I ran for mayor, Chicago's populated Jewish population, 2%. I know the people. I met them at the L stops. I met them in the grocery store. I met him on the stoops. There are good people with good values. They saw somebody who would actually turn a school around, a system that would give kids a graduation rate. They voted for Rahm Israel Emanuel. And I faced some very ugliness there, too. But when I was an ambassador, somebody had sprayed Nazi insignia on Amy Zamia fence. And the next day, we don't know who, somebody went over, cleaned it up, turned the wood around, painted it out so that wouldn't be there. The American people are good people. I have my confidence in them. I know anti Semitism exists. I've been a victim of it. But I've also been a victim and a beneficiary of people who will judge me based on my character, my life's work, and my based on my values. So as I said to you at the beginning, don't vote for me if me being Jewish is your problem. Because I'll say one thing. If we're a party that's inclusive, then let's practice it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Got you.

What about people who will hold the

city of Chicago against you? Because anytime the city of Chicago comes up, no matter who's in office because of the years of violence that has existed in the streets of Chicago, I don't care who it is. If you say you're a politician and it's from and you had anything to

do with Chicago, somebody's gonna bring up the violence in Chicago and they're gonna look to somebody, especially somebody like yourself, to who was once the mayor. What do you say to that?

[Rahm Emanuel]

Well, Look, I own the good, the bad and the ugly, and I make mistakes along the way. Damn right I did. Did I learn from them? Of course I did. And then I had. And also at the end of the process, showing it, Chicago had the lowest robbery, burglary rates and other types of home crimes in 20 years. But it was. I made mistakes. And the one you got to know is A, when you make them, B, do you learn from them? And CD you make sure you don't. You improve them next time. Let me give you an example of that out of history, because the only thing you have is basically learning forward, okay? You have the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah.

[Rahm Emanuel]

What if history had been different? Kennedy totally screwed up the Bay of Pigs that he inherited from Eisenhower, but he did it. He learned about himself, he learned about the people around him, and he learned how to actually apply forward in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The lessons from the Bay of Pigs. So I made my mistakes and I will own them. I made some good choices and good judgments and good policies. That is life. And if you want perfection again, don't vote for me because I'm obeying. Make mistakes. But I will bring all my intellectual energy, all my judgment, all my values and all my grit to what I do.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, you definitely got grit on your side. You definitely got grit on your side and intellectual energy. I can vouch for you on that one.

Those two. Oh, my God, you definitely got those two going for you. No question about it. Before I let you get on out

of here, I'll ask this question respectfully. If you're considering, you say you're considering running.

Is it because you really.

I know the passion exists there, but

is it just because of that or

is it because you look at the other potential candidates on the left and you're like, oh, Lord, we can't. We can't have them. I better step up in here.

Could it be that? Could it be that because I don't like the list that I'm seeing that I'm hearing about, I don't like it. Wrong.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Well, first off, first of all, I got that look. My attitude on this is you don't run because you want to block somebody in 2026 will be a referendum on Donald Trump and the rubber stamp Republicans and they're going to get a whoop.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I think so, too.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Okay? 2028 is a choice election, not a referendum. And I'm what I'm doing around, going around the country laying out stuff on education, laying stuff out on ethics reform, laying Stuff out specifically on social media first on all of those things and how to increase our investment in science, technology. I want to prove that we as Democrats know how to fight for, for America. I want the American people to say those are people that actually know, hear and believe in me. That's why I've made a reform to community colleges. Those are the kids. Those are the people working full time that are never seen, heard or respected in Washington. I didn't make them at the center as we did in Chicago, which is why the World bank called Chicago Community College system the best college career program in America. The very people that can't be seen and heard are the people that I've worked for. I've made my mistakes, but I've never given up fighting for them. And so I'm not trying to block anybody.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Right.

[Rahm Emanuel]

I'm trying to prove as a Democrat we know how to grow the economy, how to get everybody to be in the winner's circle, not excluded. Take our tax system. One last thing, Stephen A. This tax code today rewards wealth preservation, not wealth creation. It's ass backwards. And you and I, we are rewarded for passing on wealth to another generation. My view, my kids got a loving home and a good education. Rest is up to them. The whole country has actually turned its back, which is why the American people are rightfully angry. The country has turned their back on the American people.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah, but that would be both. That would be the Democrats and the Republicans in my estimation. Ron, I said that. I said folks dropped the ball.

[Rahm Emanuel]

We all, we dropped the ball. And you know why? You got four big events in the last first 25 years of this country. You have a war in Iraq built on a lie. There was never yellow cake and those responsible never held accountable. And we lost thousands of our promise. America's youth eight, four years later you had the liar loans. People lost their homes, 7 million of them. And bankers asking for their bonus when they had been responsible and never held accountable. Four years later Xi comes into power and we let Battle Creek fight Beijing all by themselves and we never actually came to their aid. And then four years later you had Covid same thing. And the through line of all that is the establishment took care of itself and the rest of the public was left holding the bag. That's why people are angry and they have every right to be.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Last question for you. Data from the last few election cycles shows a historic shift shift of young men. Rahm moving away from Democrats is the party's rhetoric on identity and culture alienating those voters and can Democrats win them back without upsetting the progressive base of their party?

[Rahm Emanuel]

Well, here's my thing is identity politics is bad strategy and bad politics. And it's proven time again. First of all, when you do identity, the other side gets to do identity.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's right.

[Rahm Emanuel]

And I don't know if Democrats the other side's got more identity. Number two, the whole identity politics is based on a false premises. Speak to something that's deeper, that unites people. If you do identity politics, it's based on a politics of division and people are enemies. And I don't mean American enemies. China, Russia, North Korea, Iraq, exacerbate those enemies. Speak to and if you look at President Clinton, Clinton, President Obama and President Kennedy, every one of them took on in one way or another, identity politics, it is a mistake electorally, it is a mistake strategically. And it doesn't find what unites us. It identifies the very thing that breaks us into different subgroups. There is something bigger that needs to appeal to that is I believe like you believe, that we won the lottery ticket of life being Americans. Try that message. Speak to the American part and the American creed. That is a uniting principle that brings Democrats, independents and some Republicans together.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Former ambassador for Japan, former White House chief of staff, former mayor of Chicago, potentially future presidential candidate for the United States of America, the one and only Rahm Emanuel. Appreciate your time, buddy. Man. Thanks so much.

[Rahm Emanuel]

It's always good talking to you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know I'm gonna have you back on. We'll talk soon, especially as these midterms approach. Be well, buddy.

[Rahm Emanuel]

Okay.

[Stephen A. Smith]

See you soon. I'm in. All right. Bye. One and only Rahm Emanuel right here with Stephen A. Trey shooter with Stephen a 866-967-6887. That's 86696, POTUS. You're listening live to Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Back with your calls. You heard what Rahm Emanuel said. I know y' all got something to say about that in a. 866-967-6887. That's 86696, POTUS. Let's go to Greg in Michigan. You're live with Stephen A.

[Caller]

What's up, Stephen a. Boom shakawaka. Mr. Positive fantastic interview with Rahm Emanuel. 60 Minutes. BB Netanyahu definitely demonstrated that that he is in control. You talk about agency with Trump. You saw his smugness. He knows that whatever Israel wants, the United States will follow. I have to ask you because we are a Christian nation and I'm going to bring this up to Chris because we're a Christian nation, do you think that we give Israel the benefit of the doubt? But even more than just the benefit of the doubt, that because we're such a Christian nation, whether they're right or wrong, no matter what they do, we will always be supportive of them because we are such a big Christian nation?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't know if that's the answer to that. I don't know if that's the reason why. I'd be irresponsible in proclaiming that to be the reason why. I know they have a strong lobby and they have strong lobbyists on their behalf, and they're very big on that. The Jewish community is a potent community, something to be reckoned with in the United States of America. There's just no doubt about it. And you can't get around that. But in the end, when Rahm Emanuel says it's on Trump, it's on our president because he has agency in all of this, he's absolutely right. President Trump during his first term, turned down Netanyahu's plan. Apparently, this plan that Netanyahu has put forward forth, it was something that he's been offering for years. If you're going back as far back as potentially Bill Clinton, that's over 25 years that this man has had this plan that he's been pushing for the United States to be participants in. And what has happened is that Trump has finally boarded hook, line and sinker. Clinton turned it down, W. Bush turned it down, Barack Obama turned it down, Trump turned it down, and Biden turned it down. Yet Trump comes back in office. So what was the difference between Trump 1 and Trump 2? That's the real question that needs to be asked for somebody who would know the answer to that. And that's what I have to say about that. Greg. Appreciate your call, man. Thank you so much. Adam in Georgia, you're live with Stephen A. What's up, Adam? How are you?

[Caller]

Hey, Stephen, I got two quick questions following up each other real quick. I know you say you'll never run because you want to keep your money, but let's say you could if you were up there. What would be your policy position as far as the Democrats want to raise taxes? That way the government can help out more and give out more. Republicans say lower taxes, cut government spending, let people take care of themselves.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, it would be somewhere in between because first of all, I'm not, I certainly wouldn't be a proponent for raising taxes. We're taking enough of the American people's money. I certainly wouldn't be an advocate for taking more of their money. But in the same breath, I would want safety nets where the rich amongst amongst us who have access to every loophole imaginable would exploit the American people and therefore put so much on the backs of the middle class. Now, I do know that they pay a lot of taxes, so when we talk about them paying their fair share, we need to be more specific in the kind of declaration of opposition that we're throwing in their direction. When we talk about them paying their fair share, we're talking about loopholes that they may exercise where the inordinate amount of dollars you're ending up, you're paying about 70 or 80% of the taxes in the country, but you still are finding loopholes to avoid paying what the average modern, everyday American citizen is paying. Commiserate with the salary that they make, and so you got to try to avoid those as well. I'm about free market capitalism, which is why people feel I'm a Republican when I'm not. Because I pride myself of being a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. But in the same breath as a social liberal, I'm not liberal to the point where I support folks who are transgender. Sharing that you're transitioning from men to a woman and you're sharing the same bathrooms, I'm not down with that. You're participating as a man transitioning to a woman and participating in women's sports. I'm not down with that. I'm looking out for the ladies. They shouldn't have to go against people who are biologically born as males. That is not flying with me, that kind of stuff. I'm a supporter of the LGBTQ community, but not to that extent. There are lines that are not going to be crossed. If it were, my administration and I firmly believe that the more money in people's pocket, the better we are as a society, because people will spend, people will fuel the economy, and more importantly, they'll behave because they have something to lose. When you have nothing to lose, then you are determined to wreak havoc and chaos, and you don't mind bringing people down with you. But when you're taken care of, when you're provided for, when you have something to lose, I think that leads to a better and more civilized society. That's how I would answer your question, Adam.

[Caller]

Right.

So with that being said, you know, the biggest letdown for me from Trump has been since 2017, 2020, 2024. He said, you know, but income tax for anybody making less than 200k, which right there, you know, that rebalances everything. You know, talks about them not paying their fair share. You know, right there, that rebalances everything. Right, But Trump ain't done. That's all he does is, you know, he talks, but he don't, he don't

[Stephen A. Smith]

follow through well, because he gets in the office and listen, I think that, I think he knows how to do some of these things. I just don't think he has an interest in doing it because he's too busy looking out for himself and his cronies. I mean, we did a poll on my, on, on, on my X page and just go to Stephen A. Smith and it says, how would you rate Trump's economic credibility, the central promise of his return to power? 12% labeled it stable, but slipping fast. 15% said low, like my bank account. 23% said strong. Trump has a plan, and 50% believe there's still credibility. Those are zealots. Those are MAGA right individuals. The Sid Rosenbergs of the world and others who, you know, no matter what he says, and I like Sid, but no matter what he says, Sid is all in on Trump. Okay. You know, it gets the point. Not Sid himself, but you got some MAGA Republicans out there. If Trump passed gas, they'd call it perfume. That's what they'd say. That's what they'd swear. They smell it. I mean, that's how pathetic it is. And there's no way that you can look at him. What has happened thus far with inflation, with the economy, with what has been going on with gas prices, with affordability issues all over the place, airfare, you know, the mortgages, rent, et cetera. There's no way you could sit up there and attach 50% credibility to Donald Trump at this particular moment in time. Unless you just want to be blind and you want to follow him blindly, which some people will do. But in fairness to them, some people do that simply because they detest the liberals and what they're seeing on the extreme left, more so than just supporting him, it's really their opposition to the left, a lot of them, and we've got to take that into consideration. Adam, I gotta go. I appreciate the call. Let's go to Kendall in South Dakota. You're live with Stephen A. What's up, Kendall?

[Caller]

Yeah, a lot of this goes back to you had a guest a couple weeks ago. I terrible with names. I got a brain fart. He was Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Democrat Leon Panetta.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Leon Panetta.

[Caller]

He stated that Iran was very close to Having nuclear weapons, there's just no way we can allow that to happen. But now I'm hearing Democrat congressmen and Democrats actually advocating for allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons. So they'd be safe, actually, like they care more about Iran than they do about the United States. The only way.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Stop right there. Start right there. Kendall. I didn't hear anyone advocating for Iran. A state, the number one state sponsor of terrorism, to have a nuclear weapon. Death to Israel. Death to America. They killed American soldiers. They've been doing it for decades. I haven't heard anybody on the Democratic side, on any side, advocate for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I've heard them present or speak about the need for a different strategy, slow rolling the process to preventing them as opposed to being gung ho and just going to war with them. I've heard them do that. But I've heard of no one on either side who's been a proponent of Iran having a nuclear weapon that is an American citizen or an American representative. I've heard no one say that our

[Caller]

moves the only way because it's such a narrow point and they can control it from the land. The only way we can do anything about the Strait is either blockade it, what we're doing, which seems to be working just fine, or it's just lower, or we have a land war, and I don't think anybody really wants that. We'd have to take at least 100.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You don't want a land war? You don't want a land war? Absolutely not. You don't want that. I give you that. I hear where you're coming from, Kendall. Thank you for the call. Let's go to J.D. in New Jersey. You're live with Stephen a. What's up, J.D.

[Caller]

hey, Stephen A. I need you to

[Stephen A. Smith]

speak up so my audience can hear you. J.D. they need to hear you. Go ahead.

[Caller]

All right. Stephen A. Can you hear me? Am I speaking loudly enough?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Go ahead.

[Caller]

Yeah. First off, I just want to go ahead and say, number one, this is the first time calling into your show. I've watched you before on ESPN and all the sports, news and all that sort of stuff. And I just want to say I heard you voicing your. Your platform, so to speak, if you were to run. And I just want to tell you, you echo the feelings of many people that I know. That is the fiscal conservative and the social liberal. I don't care what people do in their own homes. I don't care what you do in your bedroom. But I do care what you do. My Tax dollars. So I just want to say, you know, number one, please do the right thing and make a run because nobody else voices those sentiments. You know, the Republican Party has been hijacked since the 80s by the moral Majority. And the Republicans, they're just. Or the Democrats are leading so far to the left now with the progressives taking over. So we need somebody in the middle of the road. It's. And I just feel that that that's where you stand. And my other question, that was my first point. My second question is, what do we do now in Iran to prevent them from getting that nuclear weapon now that we're at war with them?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I got you. Well, first of all, we should have done enough between bombing them last June and then bombing their nuclear sites again. Again, they shouldn't be in a position to be building nuclear weapons. We should be monitoring that. We went through all of this trouble. We certainly can't back out now. As it pertains to the Strait of Hormuz, the reality is that Iran is proclaiming that they stand to make more money and they stand to be more profitable by having that blockade and charging folks to go through there. And they're benefiting more profitably by doing that than they do when they're exporting oil. And if that's true, economically, they're not being as hurt as we proclaim they would do. But I can't imagine that we've gone through all of this, that Benjamin Netanyahu, assuming he has the influence over Trump that people proclaim he has, the combination of the two would drop the ball in making sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon. Trump says that's his number one focus. Said so. To the point that he hasn't paid any attention to the American people and their financial issues because of it. So he damn sure better not come back one day and we better not find out that Iran was ultimately able to capture a nuclear weapon, particularly on his watch. Because I'm telling you, that's a legacy thing right there. He will never get beyond that. 866-967-6887. That's 86696. POTUS back with your calls to close out the show in a minute. You're listening. The straight shooter, Stephen A.

[Rahm Emanuel]

You ordered polygraph tests of members of your team to determine how that story came about?

[Stephen A. Smith]

The FBI conducts polygraph tests all the time.

[Rahm Emanuel]

No. Have you, have you ordered polygraph tests for members of your team to determine who was the source of the stories that I'm asking you about?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't order any polygraph test. There's an internal inspection review process for any and all leaks, especially baseless information at the FBI that's been in place for the last 30 years. Those processes are followed by career intelligence and agents on the ground.

[Rahm Emanuel]

So I'll take that as a yes, since you said that these were, these were unauthorized disclosures.

[Stephen A. Smith]

53 minutes past hour number two. That was Senator Chris Van Hollen questioning Cash Patel at the Senate Appropriations hearing. What a mess. I'm shocked that Cash Patel is still in his job. To be honest with you, that's neither here nor there. 866-967-6887. Let's go to Paula in Delaware. You're live with Stephen A. Hey, Paula.

[Caller]

Before that, anybody who thinks the economy is better is blindly following Trump. And I just like to explain my situation in the last year and how it's changed between my grocery bills dropping significantly and the fact that I was laid off for nine months and couldn't get a job and now I've got recruiters banging down my door.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So you're saying that the economy is better. You're saying that they're lying about Trump's economy?

[Caller]

I'm telling you my personal experience because you said that anybody who thinks that Trump's economy is better is blindly believing him.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay.

[Caller]

Economic situation is significantly increased. My job opportunities.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Hold up, Paula. Paula, you can't speak for 350 plus American citizens. You're speaking for yourself. I can respect that. I mean, if that's the case, I can speak for myself. I'm doing pretty well. But I was doing well before Trump got here. And so I got to look at it from that standpoint. And I'm just, I'm just reading the numbers to you in terms of what the polls say and what the information says. We can't ignore that reality. That's all I'm trying to say. I'm not trying to say that you are misinforming us in any way, but are these stories wrong? Because when I'm thinking about gas prices being over 450 a gallon, when I'm thinking about the war in Iran, when I'm thinking about how Ukraine and Russia, which he was going to resolve on day one, hasn't been resolved. When I'm thinking about you over there in China, but there's stories coming out of the Pentagon that China is over here spying on us while you're over there with China, when I'm thinking about the prices increases in terms of inflation reports that show prices are outpacing wages for the first time in three years when American households have absorbed a nearly 30% rise in consumer prices since the pandemic. When I'm thinking about how debt is mounting, when I'm thinking about personal savings rate fell to 3.6%. Are we supposed to ignore all of that, Paula, because you're doing better? It was just a question. I really, really wanted an answer. Let's go to Joe in New York. You're live with Stephen A. What's up, Joe?

[Caller]

I called about a study from 2020 by ABC News that identified at least 54 criminal cases where Trump was invoked in direct connection with violent acts, threats of violence or allegations of assault. You got angry at me for bringing that up because you made the point that that happened. You know, that was six years ago. You tried to get him on that and it didn't work. He got elected. The people had spoken. But that happened in 2020. And if you recall, he lost that election. And during that campaign season, that was an issue. His violence, him inciting violence. As a matter of fact, it was Chris Wallace.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm trying to understand. So you saying that Trump was inciting violence?

[Caller]

Yes.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay.

[Caller]

You should read, you should read that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't need to read it. I already know. But, I mean, I already know. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not refuting you. What I'm saying to you, however, is that at the end of the day, if somebody talks you and coax you into exercising in volatile fashion, who's going to be held responsible? It's going to be the adult because you're the one that committed the act.

[Caller]

But here's the thing is that is. That is a crime, isn't it? It can't be violence.

[Stephen A. Smith]

It can be, but it's subject to interpretation.

[Caller]

You need, need proof. You need.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But even with the proof, even with the. Listen, listen.

People hold him responsible for the insurrection in January 6, 2021, do they not?

[Caller]

No.

Well,

[Stephen A. Smith]

that's my point. You saw him on the microphone. You saw what he said.

You saw people accusing him of inciting the violence. You saw him get impeached a second time.

But who went to jail? People that busted through the barricades and went into the United States Capitol and defecated in the Office of Representatives and threatened to kill Mike Pence.

They're the ones who went to jail.

He went back to the White House four years later. Do you see what I'm saying?

I started off this show talking about

strategy and doing the kind of things that work.

No matter how you feel about the

other side

not doing stuff that engages

in futility, it's not going to get you anywhere. Gotta strategize. And he's giving it to the Democrats on a silver platter. It's there for the taking. All they gotta do is grab it by staying focused. That's it for this edition of Straight Shooter. Holla at you next Wednesday night. Until then, peace of love, everybody. I'm out.

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