A former Republican lawmaker blasted ESPN host Stephen A. Smith after he offered some praise toward conservative mouthpiece Candace Owens.
Former Rep. Joe Walsh criticized Smith for his comments on Owens, who he spoke with on his namesake show “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” Smith said during his Tuesday episode that while he does not agree with many of Owens’s political positions, he would not think to question her “intelligence.”
Walsh took aim at Smith over the interview, pointing out that Owens has been at the center of multiple controversies, including promoting unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says that Owens “has come to embrace and promote antisemitic tropes and anti-Israel rhetoric.”
“Hey @stephenasmith, do your homework. @RealCandaceO is a well-known antisemite, she’s publicly stated that French President Macron’s wife is actually a man, and she’s pals with Andrew Tate, he of the rape & human trafficking fame. I’m all about conversations with all kinds of folks, but do better than this Stephen A,” Walsh wrote on social media platform X.
Smith said that he looks forward to having a longer conversation with Owens in the future.
“Every truth ain’t meant to be heard. Yes, it’s true. Sometimes it is about the way you say something instead of what you’re just saying. But far more often than not, the truth is supposed to usurp everything,” Smith said. “And when that young lady speaks, don’t even think about challenging her intelligence. Don’t even think about challenging her ability to articulate her point of view. You better know what the hell you’re talking about when you come at her.”
“I can’t wait until she and I sit face to face one day and volley back and forth about what we feel, what we believe, what we stand for, and why, because I’m certainly different than her when it comes to some political positions she has taken and beyond, there is no doubt about that, but I can’t deny she sharp as a tack,” he said.
“And you damn well better be if you don’t come for her, because ladies and gentlemen, like it or not, Candace Owens. She’s not going anywhere. Even when you thought she was gone, she’s around,” he added.
The Daily Wire severed ties with Owens last year after she embraced antisemitic rhetoric and feuding with former co-host Ben Shapiro, who founded the conservative outlet.
Stories by Lauren Sforza
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