Stephen A. Smith is tackling topics beyond sports on his podcast, and he’s now using his new platform to address Joe Rogan.
The star of ESPN’s “First Take” spoke on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on August 2 to address the claim by Joe Rogan on the January 6th insurrection. Rogan said that it’s a “fact” that the insurrection was a “false flag,” adding that it was pro-Trump rioter Ray Epps that instigated the attack.
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Smith’s response wasn’t to defend or lambast Rogan. Instead, he found a middle ground.
“I have no clue what Joe Rogan is talking about,” Smith said. “And by that I mean, I have no idea whether he’s right or whether he’s wrong.”
Smith continued by saying that while he does not taking Rogan’s side, he’s certainly not dismissing theories against the government given its “insidious behavior” in the past, especially against Black leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
“I’m not saying he’s alright, but I’m not dismissing every syllable he echoes as conspiracy theories,” Smith said. “I’m a black man.”
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Smith asserted that he does not support Donald Trump, that he is unhappy that he is running for president again, and polling well. He said he doesn’t believe the former president is “fit for office.”
However, he thinks dismissing comments by influential voices like Rogan who have the ear of the right isn’t a great strategy for anyone trying to defeat Trump in the presidential race.
“There’s a lot of people who believe exactly what Joe Rogan stated, and if you want to knock him off in a general election, you better listen to what the other side is thinking,” Smith said.
And Smith hammered on the point about being open to the thoughts of the other side as he concluded his nearly 17-minute segment addressing Rogan’s comments.
“I don’t agree with what he’s saying,” Smith said. “But he’s not alone. There’s a whole bunch of people who feel that way. And trying to silence them only makes them louder.”
