By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-16 00:11:25 | Updated at 2025-03-16 20:19:02
20 hours ago
Stephen A. Smith's foray into politics continued on Friday's podcast, where the ESPN star heard serious allegations against the Biden Administration from President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan.
Homan echoed accusations that Democrats hoped to turn undocumented migrants into a liberal voting block and specifically named Joe Biden's Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as a bad actor in this scheme.
Intrigued, Smith wanted to know why Biden reversed many Obama-era border policies when he assumed office after beating Trump in the 2020 election.
'The numbers show, he actually deported more immigrants out of this country than Trump did,' Smith said of Obama, as quoted by Mediaite.com. 'Yet Biden comes into office in 2020, and he went completely against what Obama had done. You ever received intel explanation as to why he did that?'
Homan responded with the right's long-held belief that Biden's executive order directing census workers to include undocumented immigrants was part of a greater effort to transform migrants into citizens and voters.
'Now I surmise, I have an opinion, that I think this administration thought these millions of people were gonna be future Democratic voters,' said Homan. 'But one of the things Biden also did, in addition to destroying all the programs we put in place to give us the most secure border, he overturned the Trump Census rule, which means millions of people they release in sanctuary cities will be counted in the next Census, which is gonna result in what? More seats in the House for the Dems.
Stephen A. Smith's foray into politics continued on Friday's podcast
Former Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and current White House Border Czar Tom Homan speaks to the press outside the West Wing of the White House
'They saw a future political benefit with this,' Homan continued. 'So both those men knew how we solved that crisis. When it came back in as now the Secretary and the President, what did they do? The complete opposite.'
US immigration detention hit capacity at 47,600 detainees, a senior official said this week, adding that more bed space will be needed.
Homan said in December 2024 that the Trump administration is seeking 100,000 beds for a mass deportation effort targeting all of immigration violators, regardless of criminal status.
Smith has laughed off claims that he could run for president in 2028, describing rumors of a potential election bid as 'hilarious'.
The ESPN host has been flirting with the possibility of running for president after a national survey revealed last month that he would receive more support than several high-profile Democrat hopefuls in three years' time.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com shortly after the survey was released, Smith left the door open to run if the American people call for it, despite stressing that he has no personal desire to do so.
Yet during an appearance on American journalist Karen Hunter's podcast this week, he expressed disbelief that the public is even considering him as a potential candidate to take on Donald Trump .
'I'm laughing like... are y'all serious?' Smith initially said before joking, 'and then I thought, I'm Stephen A. Smith and I approve this message, and God bless the United States of America!
Smith concluded by reminding Democrats that they're currently the minority in the House and Senate, while Republicans also control the White House and Supreme Court
Smith also talked up his shock emergence as a potential presidential candidate during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last week.
When asked by Fallon why he has emerged as a candidate for the Democrats, the sportscaster said on the late-night talk show: 'Folks are nuts, number one. Number two, the Democratic party... they lost. They had a bad few months, we all know this.
'And even though there's a lot of qualified Democrats all over the country from a local perspective, governors, mayors, stuff like that... there's no real national voice. And to moi... they've come to me.'
He also took aim at the left in the lead-up to Trump's recent Congressional address. Specifically, Smith eviscerated Senators Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and 19 others for repeating the same scripted White House protest, verbatim, online.
'Now you see why Stephen A. Smith was in the polls as a presidential candidate?' Smith asked after showing a clip of Warren, Booker and others' attempts to correct the President's record on inflation and other issues.
'See what I'm talking about?' the increasingly agitated Smith continued. 'You see that idiocy right there? You talk about something, people being tone def. Why the hell would 22 Democratic senators be literally echoing the same thing and think that would resonate with the American people. All it shows is that the same fabric of our democracy is unchanging...
'Do I have to come up to Capitol Hill and give you lessons? Seriously, you don't get it.'
Homan previously said the Trump administration is seeking 100,000 beds for deportations
Amid talk of a shock election run, Smith recently put pen to paper on a staggering $100million contract with ESPN.
The First Take host, NBA analyst, podcaster and frequent talk show guest has agreed to a five-year deal that will pay an average of $20m annually, according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. He has been making a reported $12 million annually amid months of speculation about his next contract.
Previously The Wall Street Journal reported Smith rejected an $18m-a-year offer from ESPN. Multiple outlets have since reported he was seeking $25m annually from the network as part of his next deal.
Although he will stay on at First Take, his daily daytime show on ESPN, the tireless worker will not be seen quite so extensively on the network, one source told The Athletic. He will no longer be a centerpiece of NBA pregame shows, but might begin making some Monday Night Football appearances.
This should allow him to do more political commentary away from the network, sources told Marchand.
