Stephen A. Smith Tells Critics to ‘Grow Up’ Amid Backlash for Interviewing Clay Travis: ‘I Talk to Everybody!’

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith isn’t backing down from the criticism he’s received for hosting OutKick’s Clay Travis on his Know Mercy podcast.

In fact, he has plans to bring on other prominent members of conservative media.

“Let me be very, very clear: I talk to everybody,” Smith said said Wednesday’s episode of his podcast. “I don’t agree with a lot of people or a lot of things that people say. I don’t believe that’s a reason to hate them, any more than I want that to be a reason for them to hate me. Listen to what I have to say. If my points are valid, man up, woman up, and admit. If it’s still wrong and believe that in your heart, then say so. We move on, ’cause that’s what I’m gonna do.

“Sean Hannity was on this show. Hopefully, Candace Owens will be on this show. So you’re damn right it’s gonna have Clay Travis on, and all the liberals, and all the conservatives. Any of them that people want to hear from and people want to listen to and watch and view, if they wanna come on Know Mercy, I’m gonna welcome them on.”

Smith had Travis on the April 17 episode of his podcast. During their hour-long conversation, they touched on Travis’ career, cancel culture and the 2024 presidential election.

The longtime First Take panelist said it’s his duty as a journalist to continue having these conversations.

“I could sit down and talk to the Ku Klux Klan for interview purposes,” Smith said. “I grew up watching Ed Bradley. I grew up watching Bryant Gumbel. I grew up watch Ted Koppel, and Tom Brokaw, and Dan Rather, and all of these folks. I loved Sam Donaldson when he was covering the White House.

“You think they liked everybody they talked to? You think they agreed with everybody they talked to? You think they harbored the same beliefs? Grow up. Grow up. That’s how things move forward in this world.”

Smith admitted, however, he does have a limit. He has no interest in talking to Fox News host Tucker Carlson.