Stephen A. Smith Torches Trump’s Call for Calm After WHCD Shooting: ‘When Are You Going To Practice What You Preach?!’

Stephen A. Smith told President Donald Trump to get a mirror when it comes to calls for a calmer rhetoric following a shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this week.

Smith joined NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Tuesday evening and dismissed calls from “antagonist” Trump and his team to tone down political rhetoric, telling the president to “practice what you preach.” Smith was in attendance at the WHCD.

Smith accused both sides of the political aisle giving the same empty “song and dance” when it comes to toning down rhetoric.

He said:

You saw the president talking about toning down the rhetoric. I’m sitting here saying it was the right thing to say, but when are you going to practice what you preach? Because you certainly are an antagonist, and know how to exacerbate situations better than most as the president of the United States. You instigate a lot. I’m not blaming him for somebody trying to perpetrate an act of violence against somebody. To me… they got their own issues, and need to be held accountable. But nevertheless, when we talk about calming the waters and dialing down the rhetoric, both sides give us that same song and dance. Neither side means it.

Smith praised House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for calling for Republicans to clean up their own extremists before preaching to Democrats.

“Clean up your own house before you have anything to say to us about the language that we use,” Jeffries said following the shooting.

Cole Thomas Allen, 31, has been charged with “one count of attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm & ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence” after a shooting at the WHCD where Allen was apprehended.

“I’m not saying it’s to be applauded, but what I’m saying is that he was very honest in his assessment of where he stood on the issue as opposed to a lot of people that were just singing the same old song and dance about dialing back the rhetoric,” he said.

Watch above via NewsNation.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!