Stephen A. Smith calls out heated political rhetoric after WHCD security scare
Journalist Stephen A. Smith joined ESPN First Take on November 8, 2024 at Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Stephen A. Smith was expecting a routine night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. It was everything as the black tie event turned into a moment of real horror.
The ESPN anchor was at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night when gunshots outside the event sparked panic in the room.
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President Donald Trump posted a photo on social media showing law enforcement taking Cole Thomas Allen into custody following the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. (U.S. President Trump via Truth Social/Anadolu/Getty Images)
The shotgun used by Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner attack, is displayed before Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and others hold a news conference at the Justice Department on April 27, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Polling Inc.)
The deranged anti-Trump and anti-Christian gunman never entered the ballroom and was stopped by security, but for a few tense seconds, no one inside knew it.
On his YouTube show Monday, Smith described the chaos that ensued as guests scrambled to react without clear information.
“What horrified everyone was that for at least a few seconds you thought the room had been entered,” Smith said. “So we all had to go down. We dived under tables and chairs and stuff.”
Stephen A. Smith speaks about the shocking assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
What was supposed to be a unifying moment against political violence has once again turned into a political ploy by the Left.
Smith also pushed back against conspiracy theories that quickly surfaced online in the aftermath.
“There are a lot of conspiracy theorists out there who claim this is all fraudulent,” he said. “Personally, I think people can have their own opinions or guesses or things like that, but it would be irresponsible for me or any journalist to jump to that conclusion. We’re not going to do that.”
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It also highlighted a broader problem, the increasingly heated political climate surrounding moments like this.
“I’m sick and tired of us paying lip service to the narrative of reducing rhetoric. That’s enough. Stop talking about it and do it,” Smith said. “Let’s discuss politics instead of name-calling and talking about people in provocative and derogatory ways.”
The incident also raised a practical concern about the event itself…
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is being held at a hotel, not on the White House grounds.
Smith did not reject this criticism.
“The dead clock is right twice a day. The president has a point,” he said. “Stuff like this shouldn’t be on White House grounds. It shouldn’t be in a fucking hotel in D.C. that anyone can get into. It shouldn’t be allowed in at all.”
OutKick founder Clay Travis, who attended the event, also sounded the alarm about ongoing security concerns.
Travis wrote on X: “Fourth and fifth assassination attempts are coming. The Secret Service isn’t good enough at their job. We need better.”
Ultimately, the threat never reached the ballroom. But for a few minutes uncertainty set in, and that was enough. Because in a room with some of the most prominent names in media and politics, no one knew whether they were safe or not.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com Follow on /x: @alejandroaveela
