President Donald Trump fired back at ESPN host Stephen A. Smith Monday night after Smith blamed Trump for the New York Knicks’ loss in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The Knicks fell to the San Antonio Spurs 115-111 at Madison Square Garden — the same game Trump attended. Smith had said before the game that he would hold the president responsible if New York lost.
Trump was questioned by Fox News Digital about Smith’s comments while boarding Air Force One for the return trip to Washington, D.C. Smith has publicly flirted with the idea of running for president.
“I think he’s a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”
The president’s response came after Smith claimed Trump had “no business” attending Game 3, calling the visit “selfish and narcissistic.” Smith has mentioned multiple times on ESPN that he’s considering a presidential run in the future.
🚨 LMAO! President Trump DROPS this line on Stephen A. Smith
“Smith said he would blame you if the Knicks lost tonight.”
TRUMP: “He’s a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a HIGH IQ — I don’t really think Stephen A. Smith HAS that. I don’t… pic.twitter.com/wNmInMbHfl
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 9, 2026
Trump attended the game at Madison Square Garden before returning to the White House. The Knicks now trail the Spurs in the series.
