I'm on vacation, yes i am, but you know something that's worth coming off vacation for an opportunity to thank you for me having one million subscribers. It is official, we have reached that number this afternoon. Can't thank y'all enough for the lover of support y'all. Like I told you, you keep it coming and I'm gonna keep on coming.
Stephen A on vacation in.
The house, coming at you. It's stephen A Smith Show. Now what's up?
Everybody? Welcome to the Ladies edition of The stephen A. Smith Show, Coming at You.
As I love to do or at least three times a week over the digital airwaves of YouTube. As always, I like to take moments to think and show my gratitude to my subscribers and followers.
But today is a special day.
Even though I'm on vacation, I had to come off vacation because as of this afternoon, we have we have eclipsed over one million subscribers on our YouTube channel. Obviously, millions of downloads have taken place on our heart radio over the last few months. Can't thank y'all for the love and support enough. It really really means a lot to me. And to really speak about this further, let me remind you that this show, I know that I talk sports. I know that I talk pop culture and entertainment.
I know that I talk politics, news items and things of that nature, basically social commentary. I consider its social commentary more so than politics, because I'm certainly no political official or not a but I'm a conscienus observer and I pay attention to things that people in America and beyond definitely care about, and I like to touch on those things and for you all to know me and my sports background, but to still throw your support behind me when I talk about these other things. I cannot
thank you enough for the love and support. It's not easy getting in front of the camera every day, taking positions that I've taken, recognizing the fact that you might alienate some people along the way, But I do it because again, I pride myself for being a conscientious pserver. I pride myself and being somebody who cares about what the hell is going on, and it's going to give you my version of truth as authentically as I possibly
can do. And for you to get behind me and to support me the way that you have for me, to really eclipse a million subscribers in basically twenty months, because that's how long I've been on YouTube. I just can't thank you enough. It's really really humbling to receive the level of support that I have received from you all,
and I can't thank you enough. All I can tell you is that I'm going to be as honest and as straightforward and as authentic as I possibly can be, and I hope and pray that I will continue to receive the support that you've given me. So from the bottom of my heart on behalf of myself and a whole team for the entire Stephen A. Smithy, I sincerely thank you, We sincerely thank you, and we hope that
you will continue to support the show as always. To continue to like and follow the show, just click the bell to be notified of all of our new content, and you too shall be considered the latest member of Stephen They make show family. And while you're doing that, make sure to pick up a copy of my New York Times bestselling book, Straight Shooter, a Memoir of second Chances and First Takes, now in paperback, written by me. The audio book voiced over by me. Yes, that's the
new York Times bestseller. It's been a New York Times bestseller since last year. I can't thank y'all enough of that. Again, doesn't happen without your loving support, so I really really appreciate it. I got a lot of stuff that I want to get into today, and one of those things was my buddy, my colleague at ESPN, my brother, Ryan Clark, an outstanding NFL analysts for the family and outstanding hosts for the podcast The Pivot, not to mention doing his
Inside the NFL show with Bill Belichick chat. Oh your those guys, and he's a Super Bowl champion as a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We know what his background entails, but he made a lot of noise this weekend, and to be quite honest with you, I was upset about something, and I want to explain what I'm.
Upset about after I play you this clip.
This is Ryan Clark talking about Lamar Jackson and how essentially his success is going to be the finishing touch for the whole narrative about black quarterbacks and the question marks and the skepticism that have been associated with black quarterbacks throughout NFL history, not recent history, but certainly in
the past. Ryan Clarke was speaking on first take, sitting in my chair because I was on vacation on Friday, across from El Duncan acrosse, from Monica McNutt, who was hosting in place of Molly Carum, and of course across from the one and only Cam Newton forming the Heisman Trophy winning number one overall pick for an NFL quarterback. Nevertheless, Ryan Clark said some things that rub people the wrong way before I commented on it. I want you to hear what he had to say.
Listen up, and I want to say it to you, and I want to say it to Randall Cunningham, and I want to say it to Russell Wilson, and I want to say it to Michael Vick.
This is the evolution of the position.
Without Randall Cunningham having to try to conform and be a pocket passer and also show his athleticism, we.
Don't get to Michael Vick.
And without Michael Vick accepting that and working to become a better passer, working to become a better leader, we don't get a Cam Newton. And if Cam Newton doesn't bring the style of play that he had, the opportunity to bring from Auburn to the NFL and win an MVP doing it. We don't have a Lamar Jackson. See, we've needed at that position because of all the negativity surrounding whether or not people like you can play it.
We needed each of you to get to this point. Yes, and that's why we need Lamar Jackson to take that next step and hold that Lombardi Trophy the same way we all cry when Doug Williams did it.
In they Yes, Now you heard Ryan Clark right there.
Personally speaking, I'd like to say that I'm disappointed, but that's not the word. I'm pissed off, But I'm not pissed off at Ryan. I'm not pissed off at all of you guys. Nor am I pissed off at Ryan Clark for.
What he said. You know what, I have a problem with that he deleted the post.
Because when cynicism and criticism came in this direction, Ryan Clark somebody who runs from no one, and I'm certainly not accusing him of running.
Now I'm mad he deleted the post. Now, I know what a lot of people were saying.
First of all, Ryan Clark didn't know what he was talking about, because guess what, Patrick.
Mahomes is a three time Super Bowl champion.
He's the reigning two time Super Bowl champion, having won back to back titles for the Kansas City Chiefs. Here he's a black quarterback, and you're bringing that up. That's really slick on your part, ladies and gentlemen. Ryan Clark wasn't wrong. Ryan Clark was right.
Now.
He may have come across wrong because he gave you an opening to bring up Patrick Mahomes to derail or to squash his point. But that's not the point that I interpreted him saying. What he's talking about. What he was talking about is not the black quarterback, but the black quarterbacks who have been questioned as to whether or not they should play quarterback. Nobody was questioning whether Deshaun Watson was a quarterback. Nobody was questioning whether Patrick Mahomes
was a quarterback. They were questioning whether Lamar Jackson was a quarterback. They were wondering whether he should consider a different position going into the NFL. And it was Lamar Jackson that had to tell them, nah, I ain't down with that. I'm a quarterback and I'm gonna be a quarterback in the NFL and I'm gonna wreak havoc and I'm gonna wreck shop and I'm gonna show you what I bring to the table. That's what Lamar Jackson said.
But they were trying to convince him not to play quarterback. And that specter of skepticism and criticism that came associated with Lamar Jackson before he was drafted number thirty two overall in the first round at the end of the first round by the Baltimore Ravens is something that has happened.
Only two black quarterbacks. Where's the white dude? And if I'm wrong, I stand corrected, But I don't recall a white dude coming into the NFL having played the quarterback position in college and they were being dissuaded from entering as a quarterback because people were accusing.
Them of not being able to play the position.
Don't get us started with why they were saying that, because usually when you have questions about a quarterback, it's about the ability's or it's their ability to be a dual threat at the running back position with black folks back in the day, albeit back in the day, there was a question about intellect and the ability to comprehend and deciphering NFL defense, and read through your progressions and make the right call and make the right throw audible
at the line of scrimmage. Understanding and comprehending and dissecting the playbook, et cetera, et cetera. These are the things that were thrown into questions about black quarterbacks. And so anytime there's a black quarterback that was being questioned as to whether or not they should play the position, that was the first thing that came to people's mind, because that's the level of skepticism that historically has been associated
with the black quarterback. Until recently, nobody's accusing it of being that way now because times are changed and things have drastic improved. You could go back to Randall Cunningham. You could go to.
The Warren Moons of the world. You can go to.
The Dante Colepeppers or the Steve McNair's of the world. You can go to the Michael Vicks of the world. You can come to the modern day era. Because there was a time in the NFL in recent memory where you had guys like a Russell Wilson toward Deshaun Watson to a Patrick Mahomes, who were the highest paid dues in the league. So not only were they playing the quarterback position, but they were getting paid handsomely to do it.
That is not what Ryan Clark was talking about in terms of what I saw him say on First Take My Day Job every weekday morning on ESPN from ten am to twelve noon this past Friday, when he was feeling it for me who was on vacation.
That man talking about Lamar.
Jackson was simply saying he's a dual threat. His athletic ability is undeniable, whose running ability is undeniable. His passing game has improved, He's done everything right, and now what anybody and everybody is waiting for.
Is for him to deliver the goods.
Because Josh Allen to a lesser degree, Joe Burrow to a lesser degree, but Patrick Mahomes to the umph degree, is standing in his way.
And just his conference alone. We ain't even get it too.
The Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia, the Jared Goffson detroits, or that Jordan loves in Green Bay, or even a Sam Donald in Minnesota, Brock Purty last year, Dak Prescott just because he's a cowboy, even though they asked as a home unofficially, of course, I mean officially they're going home, but we know they won't be in the playoffs.
Everywhere you turned.
There were guys and so you're looking at Lamar Jackson and you're saying your two time league MVP bro Nine dudes have won two league MVPs in NFL history, every single one of them have been Super Bowl champions. But you.
So you got to answer that call.
I've agloviated about that on numeriousications. But in the event that he does answer the call, Ryan Clark is right.
That should be it. In terms of seeing a.
Dual threat at the quarterback position with extreme athleticism being questioned as whether or not they could play the quarterback position, what's the problem?
I see no problem.
So I'm pretty ticked off that Ryan Clark de leted his tweet, according to the reports, because would you.
Take it down for you were right?
His point may not have been articulated as perfectly as he would have liked, and he might have left the hole here there for somebody to at least question it, but its overall point I firmly understand, and he was right. If Lamar Jackson wins the Super Bowl. That's gonna go a long way towards us, ever questioning, ever, questioning again whether a cat can do it at that position, being
a dual threat, a quarterback who can run. We're marveling to Jaden Daniels for the Washington Commanders because of what he's doing.
Ryan Clark is right.
We want to rave about Sam Donald, and we should, but I will remind y'all that Sam Donald, who has led the Minnesota Vikings to a fourteen and two record this year, who's had thirteen games with a QBR over one hundred this year, who has been absolutely sensational for the most part for the Minnesota Vikings, That's Sam Donald. I gotta give credit where credit is due, that brother right there. Fourteen wins, thirteen games with a pass away
a QBR of over one hundred. His fourteen wins are the most by a quarterback with the new team over the last forty years.
Peyton Manning won thirteen and twenty twelve.
Steve McNeil won thirteen in two thousand and six with the Ravens. By the way, Sam Donald's been the most productive deep ball thrower in the National Football League this year, twenty or more air yards, that's what they said. And he's playing under the countrect that's playing him ten million dollars for one year.
That same damn Donald.
Before you go out there throwing a parade for the brother like it's seeing the Minnesota Vikers were willing to do in the postgame locker room following Sunday's victory over the Green Bay Packers, acting like they just won a championship. I will remind y'all, as much as Sam Donald deserves praise for the great, great year that he's had, it was six years that preceded it when he didn't. So I was sitting there talking about him and pray him
and what have you. Isn't it ironic that were praising the dude who's produced, really for the first time in his career that spans more than six years, but a two time league MVP. We're constantly saying that in enough, you gotta do it. I'm just asking, isn't it ironic? I just wanted to throw that out there. A couple other things that I wanted to get on out of here. I wanted to get to before I got out of here. Today, I brought up Sam Donald because I thought it was fair and it was necessary.
I want to give love to.
Brock Booers, that tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders, balling the way that he bawled, because this brother ended up having the most catches in the season by a rookie at any position that was formally held by Pooka, the core for the Los Angeles Rams, by the way, And not only did he do that, but Brock Bauers had achieved the most receiving yards in the season by a rookie tight end and that record was formally held
by Mike Ditka. Thinking about that, this guy was drafting the thirteenth out of Georgia and balling for the Las Vegas Raiders is the only bright spot that the Raiders have had to had to rave about.
So props to him.
Props to Baker Mayfield for his five touchdowns on Sunday afternoon, all be it against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in the race for the air for the NFC South Division crown. Okay, but Sakuon Barkley, have you seen this brother? I mean, this brother has been so sensational. I gotta sing one of those songs.
Have you seen him? Tell me? Have you seen them? Seen them? Wooh, that's a odie. It's usually have you seen her?
But I'm saying him for the purposes of Saquon Barkley, who rushed for about one hundred and sixty seven yards, who finished right now, he has over two thousand yards rushing, had one hundred and seventy six yards and seventeen carries and a touchdown against the Giants back in October. Had a season high ten point four yard ars plug carry in that game.
Why am I bringing that up? Because he's less than one hundred.
And fifty yards from breaking Eric Dickerson's all time single season rushing record next week, and that's against the New York Giants, his old team, you know, the team that went on hard Knocks talking shit about him, acting like they could afford to lose him, acting like it wasn't a big deal to let him go, to tell him to go ahead and test the open market, and did it with the cameras rolling on hard knocks.
Remember that team, that team, his former.
Team is who say Kwon Barkley is going up against next week?
Is it it poetic justice.
That this brother I mean, the Giants gonna play and they're gonna do everything they can to stop him. And if you're the Philadelphia Eagles, you gotta be careful because you want him to break the all time squle season rush rushing record. But in the same breath, your Philadelphia Eagles, you got a chance to win the Super Bowl. The Lions got seventeen people on injury to reserve. The Vikings
are still being quarterback by Sam Donald. If you're the Philadelphia Eagles, you gotta believe you could take them.
You got the green Bay Packers.
They came on late, but they were getting blown out before they came on late against the Minnesota Viking. Okay, they don't miss. Vikers, don't miss those two field goals. Green Bay wouldn't have been in a position to come back and beat them. Then you've got that in the NFC, and it's only one of those teams, whether it's Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, or whomever, it's only one of those teams that could
come out of the AFC. So you're the Phillydelphia Eagles, you got a chance, and you got a decision to make because you want sain Kwon Barkley to go for that all time single season rushing record, especially against the New York Giants. But the flip side is you don't want to put yourself in a position where he could ultimately get hurt, because without him, Philadelphia ain't winning no damn Super Bowl. So we gotta get that out the
way right now. One game left, sa Kwon Barkley, He's just one hundred and one yards away from Eric Dickerson's all time Russian record.
One hundred and one yards. You got to put them out there to go for it.
But in the same breath, you gotta be careful not to jeopardize his health.
You got to because it ain't worth it. It just ain't.
So let's be very very clear about that and leave it at that. My last point is in bringing up sain Kwon Barkley is to go to the New York Giants, Ladies and gentlemen, The New York Giants.
Are awful, just awful. GM's gonna deserve to lose his job.
Don't think about firing Brian Gable Dable without getting rid of the GM shine.
Don't even think about it. That's a man that gotta lose his job.
And the head coach loses the job because Brian David was the Coach of the Year a couple of years ago. He ain't forget out of coach. He just don't have that talent to coach. Okay, you got rid of Saquon Barker because you invested forty million a year, Daniel Jones, who's now gone, don't tell me you got to keep your GM. Hell with that. I know Christmas is here and still a holiday season, Christmas is passed and now it's the new year, but damn it, the truth is the truth and nothing but the truth.
To help me, God, he got to go.
That ain't the man to keep and light it up in up that we've seen from the New York Giants this season, they are awful, just awful. So with that being said, let me also understand something. There is another word that I wanted to give to the New York Giants. And I didn't want to say this, Okay, I really really didn't. And I got one of my producers, Galen here, because he's a Giants fan, so you know, he's miserable.
He has all of these numbers because he's.
Miserable as shit because they suck and he kind of knew it, but he didn't think they'd be this bad. But they are this bad. And just reading from the notes that he just sent to me. The Giants sent it Sunday with a fifty seven percent chance of finishing with the number one overall pick in the draft. According to the ESPN analytics, it would a balloon to eighty six percent.
With the loss. Instead, it dipped to five percent.
The Patriots, meanwhile, are now the heavy favorites at over seventy eight percent to land the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft this spring. Why is that important? Because you got four quarterbacks that are going to be in the draft. According to mel kiper Jr. My colleague at ESPN, the absolute guru when it comes to this kind of stuff.
Shud dors Sander's out of Colorado number one, cam Ward out of Miami number two, Jaln Milroe out of Alabama at number three, Carson Beck for University of Georgia number four. I want to hear the damn thing about Carson Back. I saw the brother throw eight interceptions in three games.
I don't want to hear about casting back on this list. I don't want to hear it.
And then he was injured, so I had to have surgery and Georgia got to play a freshman because Connor Beck ain't available. That brother, listen, if he's the fourth quarterback in the draft, it's because it's just those three and in the damn person else because he didn't look great this year.
I'm not saying he can't look great, but he was of a mistake waiting to happen. He just was so got your door. Sander's cam Ward and Jaalen Milroe and the Giants are projected to get the fourth pick. What was surprised me at all? If they missed out on that, How.
The hell are you winning football games and you know you need a quarterback and you ain't going no damn place.
So when they needed to win and to.
Show that you were respectable, you were getting your ass kicked on a weekly basis. And now that your season is over, now is the time when you want to go out.
There and win. What the hell is wrong with you?
That's stupidity, absolute positive stupidity. But that's the New York Giants. Not only are they inept and bereft of talent necessary to win football games on the NFL level most weeks.
They're all so stupid.
They lose when they should be winning, and they win when they should be losing. The Giants should have been throwing games just to ensure that they were going to get themselves a quarterback for the upcoming season.
They didn't do that, which means, in.
All likelihood what we're seeing from the Giants ain't gonna change anytime soon, because you can't win without a quarterback in the now. The football league, as the saying so goes, it is what.
It is hard to say anything else. It really really isn't.
Before I go to break, ladies and gentlemen, on a very very sad note, Those of us in the industry got hit pretty hard the other day because we've learned of the passing of mister Greg Gumble. Greg Gumble, the brother of Bryant Gumble, one of the greatest sports broadcasters this industry has ever known. Greg in his own right was phenomenal. He did it all doing games for various networks, most notably CBS, as of late NFL games, Colleges, Final four of hors, The list goes on and on. He
lost his battle to cancer. For me personally, it's something that always sits home. Obviously, anytime I hear about somebody losing their battle with const to cancer, I automatically think about my mom, And there's a level of sadness that
it's just there that just won't go anywhere. There are times that I ask myself, considering all the money that has been generated for cancer research, considering the existence of radiation, chemotherapy and things of that nature, just wondering when we're going to find a cure, when we're gonna beat this. So many people fight, and they fight valiantly, doing all that they can to extend their lives to eradicate this disease from their body, and time after time after time, we come.
Up short, and all we can do.
All we're left doing is the mourn the losses of loved ones, people who were pioneers, who had a profound impact on industries, who affected the lives of millions in such a positive and a profound way. All you can do is reflect on their contribution to society and say thank God for them. And because they were here and they did so much, you know in your heart, you feel in your soul that they're in a better place.
It's the only solace that exist, at least for me personally when it comes to hearing such news like this. I'm really sorry. My condolences go out to the Gumbo family, to Brian Gumble, who I know personally, and their old family as all. What can you say, Great Gumble gone but not forgotten and never will be dead at the
age of seventy eight. I'll be back in a minute, transitioning to a newsworthy subject that's going to make people very, very very uncomfortable with some of the images that you're going to see, reminding us all that no, Vanda, how far we believe we have gotten, there is still a long, long, long way to go. Certain things are just too heinous to ignore. This is one of those things. I'll explain it all to you and show you vividly what I'm talking about in a minute.
Don't go away. You're watching and listening to the Steven A.
Smithsheill right here over the digital areas of YouTube backward more in a minute.
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Hey, run your game. Welcome back to the Stephen a Smith show.
As I told you at the start of the show, no matter how affiliated that I am with the world of sports, I don't stop there, not when it comes to expressing the kind of things that I want to express, to addressing the kind of things that I want to address, and when I mean when I say what I mean by when I say I want it doesn't mean that I'm always taking enjoyment in showing things or speaking on things.
It means that it's necessary, and it's unavoidable, and it's something that we have to make sure that we touch on. There is a video that is circulating throughout social media. This video it's newly released unveiled Friday by the State Attorney General's Office in the state of New York. It is a horrifying video footage showing a fatal prison beating of a handcuffed black man by New York correctional officers.
Reading from the Instagram post that says, in a horrfying display of brutality, newly released footage captures the fatal prison beating of a mister Robert Brooks at New York's Marcie Correctional Facility. Shockingly, several officers were executing the attack. The video shows correctional officers relentlessly assaulting the forty three year old man as he sits handcuffed, helpless to defend himself. Officers are seen and I saw the video, and you'll see some of the images right here.
You can see officers.
Are seen punching Brooks repeatedly, one striking him with the shoe, A couple even lifting him by the neck, only to drop him back onto a medical examination table. They just kept beating him and beating him. Ladies and gentlemen, This was worse than Rodney King. Remember Rodney King in the early nineties in LA and remember on the riots ensued because the police officers got off after being caught on video beating the living hell out of him with batons
and kicking him and all of this stuff. Why was this worse than that? Because Rodney King lived, Mister Robert Brooks is dead. Statement from the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochel says this senseless killing is outrageous and horrifying. Thirteen correctional officers and a nurse implicated in the incident are facing termination. What the hell do you mean termination? Why aren't they arrested. Now it's on video, you know it is. You've articulated. It's thirteen of them and a
nurse at the very least. Where's the arrest of the officers we saw choking him, lifting him up by the neck, kicking him, hitting him with the shoe, punching him in his midset, and beyond kicking him in the groin. Where are they arrest choose my language? The fuck do you mean? Termination?
Where's the arrest? Why are they not in cuffs?
Why is there not a purp walk with them walking in to a courthouse, lawyered up in front of a judge having to give a plead of guilty or not guilty. Why has that not happened yet? Why not? Maybe because it's not Maybe because it's not Monday, Monday now it's one in Now, Why they're not ive been arrested? Give a damn about a termination? Pumpa termination? Who cares? They need to be arrested. Now, there needs to be a purp walk.
Now.
We need their faces, We need to know their names. We need to show the world who they are. They're murderers. They're murderers. The videos right there so we can have.
Yeah, I'm gonna go here because I don't disagree.
With what happened to P Diddy after the video in the hotel of him hitting and kicking his girlfriend is ex girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. We also saw raids on his house by home Land Security. We've seen charges that have come down the pike. We'll find out whether he's guilty or not guilty, but we know that his reputation has been irreparably damaged. We saw him get arrested. We knew he was turning himself in. Y'all still made sure there was a purp walk. We saw him get arrested, we
saw him thrown in jail. He got our way trial in the spring.
No problem.
Now with the accusations that have been leveled against them, with the charges that are the case that the government thinks they have against them, cool, no problem. This ain't no civil case. That's a criminal case.
I got it. Well, what the hell is this, ladies and gentlemen, This is worse than what happened to George Floyd.
That's right, I said it, and don't get me wrong, because there's no way in hell that should have happened. Derek Chauvin is a murderer. Those cops that sat back and did nothing were complicit, and all they asked it should be in jail. And the loss of the breath of life is the loss of the breath of life.
And it's painful, and I get it.
Suffocating calling for your mama, gasping for air.
That's cruelty. I got it.
Robert Brooks was beaten to death, wild handcuffed. He wasn't just killed, he was tortured on camera. It was caught on video. Where are the arrest I want names. I want faith that the Governor of New York is gonna come out and says thirteen correctional officers. I want to know all thirteen. I want their names. I want to face this. I want them on camera, every one of them, every one of them.
Damn it, the nurse too. I didn't see a nurse hitting this man.
But if you're gonna say that the nurse is implicated, to show the nurse as well, all.
Of them, all of them, it says here.
Equally chilling is the revelation that body cameras worn by the police officers or by the correctional officers, I'm sorry, were not activated, leaving the public with only silent blood, chilling visuals of Brooks being stripped and left motionless on his back.
Letitia James was.
A very conspicuous figure when it came to Donald Trump's case. This is what we want to see a DA prosecuting. I'm not sitting up there and getting into the whole Trump thing, guilt, innocence or whatever whatever. I'm just saying when you talk about menaces to society and a DA that goes after them and make sure that folks are punished this kind of stuff. We want to see. Every single individual who put their hands on Robert Brooks is
guilty of murder. You want to determine first degree, second degree, fine, it's one of them.
He's dead. You want to sit up there and talk about manslaughter or whatever.
I never understand why I got to be manslaughd instead of murder or whatever, but.
Figure it out. The point is anybody that put their hands.
On him is guilty of murder, and anybody who stood by and watched and did nothing is complicit, although not directly guilty of murder, but you're complicit.
I want names.
I want faces, all thirteen and the nurse, all of them. Having said, all of that there is a way for times to get better. There is a way to potentially at least the rail some of this and to bring a heavy hand down a pond those who transgress in such a fashion and those who are complicit, whether it be with their ignorance or their neglect, and you know who. It's in the hands of Donald Trump. I'll explain in a minute stephen A.
Smith Show. I'll be right back. Welcome back to stephen A. Smith Show.
I know I might have shocked everybody when I talked about Donald Trump and how he could go a long way towards sort of minimizing I certainly never say we'll never say resolving, but at at least to some degree minimizing the things that we witness transpire with Robert Brooks courtesy of correction or New York City correctional officers who murdered him. I'll touch on that in just a second and elaborate on my point because I'm gonna try to
make it make sense for y'all. Right now, Donald Trump is in the news for another reason, and it's because of his two guys, Musk Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswami, former presidential candidate Viveck Ramaswami how they're defending foreign work of visas, sparking a backlash from the MAGA wright itself, according to a report reading right here from CNN, social media posts by Elon Musk and Ravec Ramaswami argue in favor of expanding the visa program for highly skilled workers
have set off a debate among supporters of President elect Donald Trump over how the program should fit into the
income and Administration's aggressive immigration agenda. Musk and Ramaswami, whom Trump has tapped to lead his Department of Government Efficiency, That's the DOGE, defendive companies who use workers on H one B visas, arguing tech companies, including those owned by Musk, of course, depend on foreign workers to operate, but the message rankled some of Trump's most loyal defenders, who expect his administration to crack down on immigration and promote American workers.
Trump restricted access to foreign work of visas during his first term, and as targeted the H one B program and past remarks, but during the twenty twenty four campaign, Trump signaled Trump signaled openness to give it some foreign workers legal status if they graduated from a US University. Musk actually compared the situation to sports. Listen to this quote from Elon Musk. If you want your team to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever
they may be. That enables the whole team to win. Month wrote on x which obviously he owns. I am referring to bringing in via illegal immigration, the top zero point one percent of engineering talent as being essential for America to keep winning. This is what Musk. Musk wrote in another post on Thursday. Thinking of America as a pro sports team that has been winning for a long
time and wants to keep winning is the right mental construct. Ladies, gentlemen, I gott tell you I have no problem with that. I have no problem with that whatsoever. We don't want open borders because we don't want more than twelve and a half million people just coming into the country illegally. Fair enough, We certainly don't want folks, the very few of them who are criminals into the country.
But we don't want open borders.
But that doesn't mean we don't want folks to come through the border legally. It doesn't mean that we don't want our society could to continue to be the gorgeous mosaic that we've.
Been known to be. America is the land of opportunity.
And if you have people for foreign nations that are incredibly bright and add a lot to technology and other forms of business in this world, that promotes and provokes employment for a bevy of other American citizens and beyond in this country. Why would we not do that? Why would we not do that, especially if you're talking about them being some of the top engineers in this world, why would we want to keep them out of America. I totally agree with Lelon Musk about that. It makes
perfect sense. It really really does. And oh, by the way, the number that he threw out there is zero point one percent of the top engineers. That's not hurting anybody. If anything, that's helping America. But if Veguamaswami didn't stop, he piggybacked off of what Musk said, and he said our American culture because obviously he's a first generation US citizen whose parents immigrated from India, So let's get that's straight.
Ve Ramaswami says, our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long, at least since the nineties and likely longer. That doesn't start in college, it starts young, he said. This is what he said on Thursday. A culture that celebrates the prong queen over the math Olympiad champ or the jock over the valed victorian will not produce the best engineers. I can't argue with that point. That makes perfect sense. That makes perfect sense. Now here's
where it gets tricky. And this is what we got to think about when it comes to Trump, and there is simply no way around us.
It's a great discussion.
Because the reality is is that it's something that's open for debate. There's reportedly fraud in the H one B visa program and it was said to need major reform.
This is according to the reports, not me.
But America wants the world's top talent and Trump wants to stay number one, right, So how can you be number one without top talent? You gotta balance that, you know, you got to balance that message with an America first message. That's a tough thing to do. America first versus America first. People already living and board here, which one is it America first instead of the in terms of the country, or America first instead of the mega write who voted
for you? To think about American citizens first. The only way for Trump to pull this office to make the argument that it's all about America. It's all about America, and anything that contributes to America being number one is something that we should support. That has to be his argument. And it gets very very interesting because now it's a debate, and having that debate, here's where the advantage is. At least in the Trump administration, there appears to be a
debate allowed. What has ailed the Democrats. It's not an ideology a lot. It's not their feelings alone. It's the fact that if you refute it what.
They said, if you are a part of that party.
Cancel culture kicked in if you are not a part of that party. It was ostracism and it was ultimately hate mongering and fear mongering that was.
Thrown into the equation. There was no room for.
Debate, and enough voices weren't being heard. Diversity amongst those voices not being heard. You're black, you're white, you're gay, you're lesbian, you're heterosexual, you're transgender, It don't matter.
You still had to have one form of thinking.
If you fell under their umbrella, Otherwise you were pushed out. If Trump is saying there needs to be a healthy debate about America first meaning the country, or America first meaning people born in this country, and sacrificing the best that may exist out there across the globe, and that's a discussion that's worth having. All of a sudden, that opens the floodgates for an abundance of other things that
we can discuss. Because when we're talking about America first, aren't we talking about America being the greatest country in the world. Aren't we talking about that being our wish? Aren't we talking about being in a position where, whether it's financially, whether it's educationally, whether it's intellectually, whether it's morally, we're supposed to be at the top of the heap.
Ain't that what we're trying to say? And if that is what we're trying to say, where's our behavior to replicate or authenticate that level of thinking.
That's a question it's important.
Trump released the statement seemingly siding with Musk and Rama Swamwing, where.
He said, court I've always liked the visus.
I've always been in favor of the visus that's why we have them. I have many H one B visas on my properties. I've been a believer in H one B. I have used it many times. It's a great program. This is what Donald Trump is saying. He's making a very very valid point when he brings that up. What are H one b's. It's employer sponsored work visas. That's what Musk and Ramaswami are in support of, and the Maga right is pushing back on because employer sponsored work
visas basically means immigrants being allowed into the workforce. And you got folks on the Maga right that don't want immigrants. But in the end, does that make our country better or worse? I say it makes us worse to not have them. I completely agree with Elon Muskin Ramaswami on this, but most importantly I agree with the idea of their being an open, robust debate about it, because it is not something that the Democrats allow. The Democrats stop letting
people decide. One could easily argue. Their mentality seem to be you must obey the party line or out and yes, that seemed to be what they were saying.
Censorship cancer culture. There was no debate.
That's why they're home and Donald Trump is on his way back to the White House.
And so since we.
Look at it from that standpoint, now we got to ask ourselves what does the debate bring. One could easily argue it only strengthens the party and sharpens the arguments. You can make that argument mainstream media. Some con say they're blowing to you know, they're blowing the disagreement out of proportion a bit.
I'm not sure about that.
I just think these kinds of discussions are good for the country, and I wish I saw more of it on the left. New lines and alliances might be drawn. We all know this, but no one's getting canceled a deep platform for it.
This is a beautiful thing.
And with that in mind, why did I bring up Trump over the last segment when I'm talking about the correction officers murdering Robert Brooks.
This issue itself.
Has nothing to do with it, But what it's fomenting and what it's provoking in terms of a healthy debate, is a beautiful, beautiful thing because it means that you're open to reason. Well, here, let me transition back to the correctional officers murdering and inmate. I wasn't there, and nor did I ever see Trump's comments in its completions about Charlottesville. I never liked the idea of white supremacist. They're very fine people.
On both sides.
Ah, that's not what you wanted to hear from your president at that particular moment in time, even though his full message might not have been articulated and disseminated to the masses appropriately. But that's not what you want to hear for the president at that particular moment in time.
Want to support our police officers.
I'm now down for defunding the police, because I know I'm calling nine to one one. I don't believe in that, But I am for making sure that the rogue officers amongst us suffer severe punishment and they get weeded out. So the ninety five plus percent of law abiding police officers who live up to their oath to serve and protect,
I'm all for them being empowered. But what we're gonna do about these correction officers and people like them, What we're gonna do about the Derek Chauvins, with the George Floyd's of the world, and all of that stuff about them.
Only reason I.
Brought up the comparison between George Floyd and now this guy, Robert Brooks, is because they were both handcuffed, both had their hands behind their back.
Derek Chauvin had.
His knee on George floyd neck while several correctional officers were beating the living hell out of Robert Brooks, beating him to death. Both were tortured, one more visibly conspicuous than the other, but both equally dead murdered. What're you gonna do about that, Donal Trump? You're not responsible for the officer's actions. Nobody's implying that.
I'm not.
Casting blame upon you in any way. I'm simply saying that when the mandate has been handed down, when you've won all the swing states, when you've gained ground on every demographic out there, black, Hispanics, young voters, when you've gained ground and in roads where you have this kind of mandate handed to you on a silver platter, where nobody cared about the impeachment, so nobody cared about the convictions, and they bought everything that you were selling in terms
of this being politicized and all of this other stuff. And now you're going back in the office as the forty seventh President of the United States of America, clearly with a mandate, but clearly with more power because you got the House and the Senate, and you got.
A damn near colt following.
That's so profound and so potent and so strong that the politicians on your side are scared to go against you, which means the vast majority of the times.
They're gonna do what the hell you say. You're gonna take advantage of this moment, Donald Trump. I'd like to see.
Donald Trump call for those officers to be arrested, or those correctional officers to be arrested and indicted. I'd like to hear Donald Trump say there is no place in our society for such heinous acts like that. He doesn't give a damn what uniform you're working. His support is applicable to law abiding law enforcement officials who live up to their oh to protect and serve, not to be criminals themselves. You can do it in all likelihood, which H one B program. You can do it in all
likelihood when it comes to tariffs. You can do it in all likelihood when it comes to a plethora of other issues.
How about this. There's violence in the streets of America. You want to make sure those people are dealt with.
Fair enough, But you don't support a dude being handcuffed and beaten to death by correctional facility correction officers on camera. There's no way to condone that speak against that kind of stuff. Let the minorities, the desolate, and the disenfranchised in this country, people who are powerless to go up against the system itself.
Let them know.
That you're the head of the system that's in place now, and you're gonna do what you can to change what has ailed the minority communities in this country from stuff like this continuing to happen. You got a chance, Donald Trump, You got a chance to get even more Democrats to shift over to the center, and possibly even over the year, if you make sure that your mentality of that strong arm of the law applies to all corruption, not.
Just those who voted against you. In our likelihood, just the thought.
Something to consider as the new year twenty twenty five approaches. And you're, as of right now, by twenty three days removed from entering the White House again as a president of the United States, speaking to presidents of the United States. Before I get on out of here, I'd be remiss in neglecting to bring up mister Jimmy Carter, our thirty ninth President of the United States of America. He died at the age of one hundred, surrounded by family at
his home in Plains, Georgia. They say in his final moments. That's what the Carter Center said in a statement on Sunday. Obviously, President Joe Bidens said Carter stands as a model of what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose and remembered Carter as a dear friend. President Donald the President elect, Donald Trump said Americans owe the former president.
A dab of gratitude.
Obviously, preparations are under way for a state funeral for those of you who don't remember. President Carter was a peanut farm and a US Navy lieutenant before going into politics, eventually serving one term as governor of Georgia. As President and President of the United States from nineteen seventy seven to nineteen eighty one. He lost Arona Reagan in nineteen eighty one nineteen eighty and then obviously gave up the
office in nineteen eighty one. He was the only former US president to reach one hundred years of age and reading off of CNN as we speak. Rosalind Carter, the former president's wife of more than seventy five years, was known. She was known for her mental health advocacy and humanitarian work. She had died in November of twenty twenty three at the age of ninety six. It's always a beautiful thing, you know, when you see a wife and or a husband and one of them passes away shortly thereafter the
other goals. It's one of those things where I've always looked at it and I said, wow, you know those are souls connected. You know, somebody goes to heaven and it's like you're ready to go to because your life just ain't worth that much anymore on this earth without that one person. That is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful thing to see, to experience, to know exist. Can't deny that one bit. And that's just how I feel about it.
I know that a lot of noise was made about Jimmy Carter, what the economy was like, that ran hostage crisis, and all of that other stuff. At the end of the day, he's a former president who was a very, very good man in the eyes of practically any and all who knew him, who cared about America, who cared about this world and did a lot of good, and heart and soul was in the right place. Jimmy Carter gone, but never forgotten. He's gone at the age of one hundred.
God bless him and his wonderful wife, who no doubt are in heaven together right now. Until next time, everybody, I'll talk to y'all. Stephen A sign it off peace and love.