Stephen A. Smith Rips Michelle Obama Over ESPN Reality TV Jab [WATCH]

Stephen A. Smith responded directly to comments made by former First Lady Michelle Obama after she criticized ESPN and singled him out during a recent podcast appearance.

During an episode of the “IMO” podcast hosted by her brother Craig Robinson, Obama compared ESPN’s programming to reality television, calling it a “sociological study” and likening it to shows such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

“It’s all a sociological study. They think that sports is better reality TV, I’m like, ‘It’s the same thing,’” Obama said.

“If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you know? It’s the same drama, and they’re yelling at each other, and they don’t get along, you know? I mean, Stephen A. Smith, he’s just like every other. . . .”

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She continued, “So, that’s why I’m like, ‘what’s the difference?’ It’s just, you know, it’s just sociological drama. I mean, the fact that people over seasons of working still can’t get along. They still have the same arguments, you know, and it’s not just women. But this happens in sports, too. I find it fascinating.”

The comments made their way to Smith, who addressed them on-air and took the opportunity to respond not only to her take on sports commentary but also to a political remark she made during the 2024 campaign season.

“When you were campaigning on behalf of the former Vice President Kamala Harris … you said a vote for [President Donald] Trump was a vote against you and a vote against y’all as women. I want to say for the record — I took major offense to that,” Smith said.

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Smith explained that he believed the voting decision for many Americans in 2024 extended beyond the issues of gender or party loyalty.

“I think to this day it’s the only thing that I didn’t like that you said, I didn’t appreciate it,” he continued.

“Because there’s so many things that go into deciding where your vote is going to go. For some people, it’s all about the economy. For others, it’s all about national security. For some people, it is immigration. For some people, it’s safety in the streets of America. Long before they think about pro-choice or pro-life.”

Smith confirmed that he voted for Harris and did not vote for President Trump but acknowledged he was not enthusiastic about his decision after seeing how the Democratic Party operated during the lead-up to the election.

“But I’m talking specifically to you, Madam First Lady,” Smith added.

“You are not just beloved, you are revered. You are sensational in so many ways. I’ve been on the record on this show and many others stating had you run for president, you would have beat Trump. I still believe that … I believe if your husband elected to come back, he would beat Trump. That’s my personal belief . . .”

Returning to the podcast comments, Smith disputed Obama’s comparison between sports coverage and reality television.

“So this doesn’t have anything to do with what you were talking about, how sports and reality TV mirror one another, even though we would beg to differ,” he said.

“Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff. We’re at sports, that’s live entertainment, and you’re actually competing against one another is big time. No, reality TV is not like that. You’re so wrong about that, about that assertion, but that’s neither here nor there.”

He concluded by expressing his disappointment without resorting to personal attacks.

“You will never hear me utter a negative word about you, but I respectfully disagreed and still remain pretty salty about what you said about us,” Smith said.

He added that he felt Obama “sort of blackmail[ed] us emotionally into trying to compel us to vote one way or another.”

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“I respectfully disagreed and still remain pretty salty about what you said about us.”

“And I feel even more adamant about… pic.twitter.com/zAwYnD6duf

— Jason Cohen (@JasonJournoDC) August 2, 2025

The exchange has sparked renewed interest in Smith’s political views and his willingness to address criticism from public figures, even those as prominent as the former First Lady.

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