Stephen A. Smith says invitations to Dem leaders went unanswered
Stephen A. Smith, host of the SiriusXM political talk show *Straight Shooter with Stephen A.*,expressed frustration that several prominent Democratic leaders have not responded to his invitations to appear on his program. Despite his promise to feature both Republican and democratic figures, notable Democrats such as Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have yet to participate. Smith noted that all Republicans he invited have accepted or agreed to appear. While Crockett, Schumer, and Ocasio-Cortez remain active in politics with recent announcements and campaigns, Smith has engaged in a public disagreement with Crockett, for which he later apologized. The only Democratic leader to regularly appear on his show is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whom Smith praised. The show aims to feature influential guests from politics and other fields, with Smith providing candid commentary on current issues.
Stephen A. Smith says interview invitations for Democratic leaders went unanswered
Talk show host Stephen A. Smith lamented that his invitations to Democratic leaders to appear on his SiriusXM show have gone unanswered.
Since the launch of Straight Shooter with Stephen A. on Sept. 17, Smith promised a lineup of Republican and Democratic figures. However, his reported promise to the Washington Post that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) would be among the first guests has yet to come to fruition.
Smith complained about the lack of response from the Democratic invitees on an episode of his show.
“[Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)] has been on this air or invited on this show for four months. [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)] has been invited on the show for four months. Gavin Newsom has been invited on this show for longer than that,” Smith said during a Nov. 14 episode. “[Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY)] been invited on this show. Hasn’t shown up. Where they at?”
“Every single Republican I have asked to show up on this show has either said yes or that they’re coming. Not the Dems. Why?” Smith added.
Since Smith’s on-air complaint, Crockett has announced her bid for Senate. Newsom has since announced he will release a memoir. From the time the government shutdown ended on Nov. 12, Schumer has faced increasing criticism of his leadership. Ocasio-Cortez continues to spur speculation that she may be a contender for the Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.
However, Smith has publicly criticized Crockett on his show, prompting a public spat between them that resulted in Smith apologizing to the representative on air in October.
Smith gave a shout-out to the lone Democratic leader who has accepted an invitation, and implied he could appear again: “Props to [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)]. He’s a friend of the show. Always welcome on here. I like that man. I respect him.”
In its announcement of the new show, SiriusXM promised “‘Straight Shooter’ will welcome notable figures from the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, and beyond, while offering Smith’s trademark no-nonsense commentary on the day’s most pressing headlines.”
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Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Texas Rep. Collin Allred, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani are also among the Democratic guests who have appeared on Smith’s show.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez, Crockett, Schumer, and Newsom for comment.
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