Whitlock warns: Stephen A. Smith's glowing mother tribute is a calculated move to win over black female voters
BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock has been predicting for over two years now that ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith was gearing up for a 2028 presidential bid. Initially, Smith denied any interest in politics, but in recent months, he’s made several public statements — including most recently on "CBS Morning Sundays" — that he is indeed considering a presidential run in the next election.
“I'm not ruling it out, because I'd love to be on the debate stages against some of these individuals that think they're better suited to run the country,” he told CBS News national correspondent Robert Costa.
But Whitlock foresees an obstacle standing in Smith’s path to the presidency: Black women.
“Stephen A. in trying to be a Trump-like figure, trying to promote himself as authentic and politically incorrect ... has put him at odds with black women,” he says, noting that the longtime sports analyst has repeatedly criticized Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Texas) and “other high-profile black women.”
He also believes, however, that Smith is well-aware of this potential hindrance to his political success and is already making moves to counteract it.
“He's developed, I believe, a strategy to combat that, and that is ‘I worship my mother, and my mother is the most important person in the history of the planet,”’ says Whitlock.
In his interview with Robert Costa, Smith went into great detail about his loving relationship with his mother, Janet Smith, who died eight years ago.
“My mother was the greatest human being I've ever known. ... It's just hard to put into words how special she was,” he said, adding that he “cried every day for two years” and even “went to therapy” after her death in 2017.
“My mother suffered, and for me to be in a position to alleviate so much of that and to make sure that she enjoyed the latter years of her life was my dream. And I was able to do that somewhat, but not to the degree that I would be able to do now,” he ruminated.
Whitlock isn’t convinced that Smith’s praise of his mother doesn’t have a political end.
He’s trying to “sell himself as the ultimate black man that black women should get behind and support. I see this as part of a political rollout and narrative,” he says.
To hear his full theory, watch the full episode above.
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