Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith offered his diagnosis of the Democratic Party’s woes in a Friday interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo, bashing lawmakers on the left and musing on messaging from both parties.
Smith credited conservative media figures, including Candace Owens, for helping Republican viewpoints reach voters.
“This is why the GOP are sitting pretty right now. It’s not just because of the power that they have in office with the president that won the popular vote, the electoral college vote, and every swing state,” Smith asserted. “It’s also because their voices are resonating better. If you look at a lot of voices on the GOP side, they’re a lot more popular than the voices on the left.”
Smith spelled doom in upcoming elections for the Democrats if they can’t figure out a populist message with wide appeal.
“If they don’t pull that off, it’s going to amount to nothing. They’ll lose the midterms. They’ll lose the general election in 2028,” he said.
Smith has been sharply critical of the Democrats in recent months, saying in May the party would need to be “purged” in response to speculation over whether he would run for president.
On Cuomo’s show, he took swipes at Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), saying they have accomplished “pretty close to nothing.”
“They make suggestions. They speak very, very loudly. They’re very, very popular. They go out there on television shows and beyond,” he said. “But at the end of the day, what have they really, really done?”
Smith participated in a NewsNation town hall with Cuomo, Bill O’Reilly and President Trump in April and shared some kind words for the president.
The commentator has also hosted increasingly prominent political figures on his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) joined him Thursday to discuss Trump, immigration and the New York City mayor’s race.