‘The Brother Wasn’t Awake!’ Stephen A. Smith Goes OFF on Trump for Attacking Him After Knicks Loss

Stephen A. Smith went on a lengthy rant Tuesday responding to President Donald Trump implying he had a low IQ over his recent criticism.

Prior to Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Smith argued that Trump should not go to the game. His reasoning revolved around the impact it would have on the area, as Trump’s presence required heightened security measures that would inconvenience all other fans. The NYPD shut down a dozen blocks in Midtown Manhattan, and fans going to the game had to go through “TSA-style” security screenings just to enter the arena.

Hours before the game, Smith said he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost. The team went on to do just that, snapping a 13-game playoff win streak.

When Trump was asked about Smith’s comments, he referenced Smith’s rumored presidential ambitions to take a swipe at his intelligence.

“I think he’s a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” the president said after the game. “You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”

On Tuesday’s episode of First Take, Smith stood in front of a podium with an American flag graphic behind him. In a manner similar to a president addressing the country, Smith fired back at Trump by saying:

He wants to sit up there and talk about my low IQ. We’ll get to that in a second because that part really, really made me laugh, but wait for that. Instead, let me stick to the New York Knicks for a quick second here.

Not only did we lose the game, did you see traffic? Did you see the watch party that wasn’t outside of Madison Square Garden? Did you see thousands upon thousands of faithful New York Knicks fans that were forced to remove themselves from the area? They’re gonna sit up there and tell you there was some condensed area that was blocked off. I was on 25th Street. I couldn’t get through with my car. I was on 39th Street. I saw cars that couldn’t get through. From 6th Avenue to 9th Avenue, you had people complaining about how hectic it was because this barricade, this blockage, this wall that was being built by folks for the garden because of the climate that existed. Somehow, some way, it was there to protect him.

Smith then pivoted to the viral clip of Trump sitting in his suite with his eyes closed for an extended period of time. Many believed it to be another instance of the president dozing off in public.

“I’m not gonna accuse him of snoring because I wasn’t in earshot, but the brother wasn’t awake,” Smith continued. “He wasn’t awake. If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep? Didn’t you call our former President Joe Biden, ‘Sleepy Joe’? Well, what should we call you? Because you weren’t awake.”

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