Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

‘I Apologize’: Stephen A. Smith Bends Knee Over Jasmine Crockett Criticism

Screenshot/YouTube/Stephen A. Smith

SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith apologized to Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett on “Straight Shooter” Wednesday for his criticism of her rhetoric.

Smith received backlash for his Oct. 8 critical remarks about the Democrat, in which he condemned her consistently “disrespectful” remarks about President Donald Trump, arguing it did not serve her constituents. He said in a video posted to his YouTube channel that he was sorry his commentary on Crockett supposedly helped Trump attack her.

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“I get it now with Trump feeding into that nonsense, giving him fodder or ammunition to continue to go out there and talk about our black women that way. I got it. I don’t like that at all. I don’t want to be associated with nothing like that,” Smith said. “And I apologize because I respect the hell out of Jasmine Crockett and what she has accomplished. I absolutely do. And I appreciate the fact that she feels compelled to fight the way that she’s fought, the way that she fights because of what she’s dealing with.”

“I don’t want enemies. I truly don’t. But I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to call it like I see it. It should be done respectfully. It should be done with the sensitivity that it needs to be done with. I get it. I understand,” he added. “But I’m going to be me. I’m going to call it like I see it. I can look Jasmine Crockett in the face and say, ‘I’m sorry for any, any, any, any kind of noise I caused in your direction.’ Because she is accomplished and she is smart and she does have an incredible, incredible challenge working in this political climate on Capitol Hill. I got it.”

While Smith did not specify which of the president’s comments he was referring to, Trump did repeat his insult that Crockett is “a very low IQ person” on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

“And when Trump came at her like that, I said, ‘Damn it.’ I was pissed off because I said that’s what they’re talking about when they’re saying, you know what, when you question something about her, it’s going to invite that,” Smith said. “I understand.”

When Smith initially addressed the backlash on Oct. 13, he did not apologize. While he doubled down on his criticism, he underscored that he respected Crockett and wanted to help her succeed.

“What I was saying was: this educated, brilliant black woman representing over 750,000 people is engaging in verbiage and rhetoric for the streets! And that’s fine when you in the streets!” Smith said. “How many of y’all bring the streets to the table when you at the negotiating table trying to get a deal done? How many of you are able to think that for a second that you able to bring street verbiage to Capitol Hill and that’s gon’ work for you?”

Crockett has risen to prominence with her racially-charged rants and incendiary attacks on Republicans. For instance, she has called Trump both a “wannabe Hitler” and “an enemy to the United States.”

Crockett said on on SiriusXM’s “The Lurie Daniel Favors Show” Wednesday that she is considering making a run for Senate during the 2026 midterms. She argued that she could defeat the current field of candidates in the primary, citing recent polling.