Trump torches Stephen A Smith’s presidential hopes after Knicks lose Game 3 with Trump at MSG

President Donald Trump took issue with Stephen A. Smith’s constant flirtations in the White House on Monday night after the ESPN commentator said he would blame Trump if the New York Knicks lose Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Knicks lost.

And Trump had an answer.

After attending Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, Trump spoke with reporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. DC Fox News Digital/OutKick asked Trump about Smith. The idea of ​​running for president has been floated many timesHe said that if the Knicks lose, Trump will be responsible.

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“I think he’s a good man, but you need a certain talent to run for president,” Trump said. “You need a high IQ. I’m not sure Stephen has that. In fact, I don’t think he does.”

Well then.

This was Trump, who, after watching the Knicks’ defeat at Madison Square Garden, responded to one of ESPN’s biggest stars suggesting he may have been responsible for the outcome.

The Spurs beat the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 on Monday night, increasing New York’s lead in the series to 2-1. This overshadowed the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, when the Tim Duncan-led Spurs defeated the Knicks in Game 5 to win the series and the championship.

So naturally, Stephen A. prepared an excuse for a possible loss in advance.

Smith, a well-known Knicks fan, had already made it clear that he did not want Trump in Madison Square Garden for the game. Although Trump’s appearance made him the first U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, Smith wasn’t interested in Trump setting a historical precedent.

The “First Take” host argued before the game that Trump had “no business” being in New York City for Game 3 and said the president’s attendance would create unnecessary chaos at one of the biggest Knicks games in decades.

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He also said he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost. However, he did not claim that he would give Trump credit if the Knicks won. Funny how this works.

President Donald Trump watches the start of Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. (Samuel Çorum/Getty Images)

Smith tried to argue that his position was not political. He said he would feel the same way if Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan attended the game.

Maybe.

But there is another important hypothetical scenario to consider.

Smith spent more than a year openly flirting with a potential 2028 presidential run. it exists He said he “had no choice” but to think about it. He stated that people with political connections repeatedly told him that he should run for president and that he could win.

Does anyone on planet Earth believe that President Stephen A. Smith will miss the Knicks NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden?

Come on.

Smith is more likely to request that the Secret Service let him sit courtside rather than sit in the White House and watch the game from afar. He probably wouldn’t stop there either. Fans would expect to see Smith at every NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden. Probably every game in the entire series.

That’s why Trump’s sharp response hit so hard.

Smith wanted to be taken seriously as a possible presidential candidate, but he also wanted to impeach the real president for attending one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Something Trump has done, by the way, in both of his presidencies. Arguably no president in history has been as visible at major American sporting events as Trump.

But Trump decided to disagree with Smith’s suggestion that the Knicks lost because the president appeared in the game. Instead, he looked at Smith’s presidential credentials and general intelligence. And as is often the case, Trump pulled no punches.

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Smith has become one of ESPN’s most powerful personalities by knowing exactly how to attract attention. He’s loud, dramatic and political when he wants to be, and he’s almost always aware of the moment.

So does Trump.

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said he would blame President Donald Trump if the New York Knicks lose Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

So when Stephen A. inserted himself into the story by saying he would blame Trump for the Knicks’ loss, Trump responded in the most Trumpian way possible.

He questioned whether Stephen A. Smith was smart enough to be president.

Fortunately, Smith will most likely just let it slide and not respond.

Yes, if you believe that, we have a bridge we can sell you.

Stay tuned.

Because there’s no chance of this ending quietly.