Stephen A. Smith visited the White House on Thursday and sat down with President Donald Trump for about 40 minutes, taping an interview for “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” his own YouTube show. The episode aired on Thursday evening.
The interview was filmed in the Roosevelt Room. Smith told reporters afterward that they discussed the midterm elections, the war with Iran, tariffs, the economy and rising gas and grocery prices — and the departure of Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.
Smith spoke to reporters in the White House driveway after the taping, in an exchange carried by C-SPAN. He said Trump maintained that he was not on the ballot in the midterm elections and that the Republican losses were about the candidates, not him. Smith said he challenged that explanation, noting that Trump had urged voters to treat the election as a referendum on his leadership.
Reporters then asked about the vacant White House press secretary job. Smith said the subject had not come up with Trump and that he had not been offered the post. Asked whether he would take it, he replied: “No way in hell.”
The press secretary post has been vacant since Katie Zacharia was dismissed after five days in the job in October, following the departure of Karoline Leavitt. Trump has not named a replacement.
Smith is ESPN's most prominent voice and the face of its “First Take” program, but “Straight Shooter” is his own show, released on his own YouTube channel — he was not at the White House on an ESPN assignment.
The visit followed a private dinner at the White House on October 15, when Smith spent more than four hours with Trump alongside comedian Bill Maher and musician Kid Rock. Trump later invited Smith and Maher to return.
Smith told reporters the conversation also touched on subjects beyond politics, but that there was no time for sports talk.
