{"id":2613943,"date":"2026-06-14T11:56:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stephen-a-smith-admits-trump-upgrade-from-biden-after-knicks-game-criticism\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T11:57:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:57:29","slug":"stephen-a-smith-admits-trump-upgrade-from-biden-after-knicks-game-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stephen-a-smith-admits-trump-upgrade-from-biden-after-knicks-game-criticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith admits Trump &#8216;upgrade&#8217; from Biden after Knicks game criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstephen-a-smith-admits-trump-upgrade-from-biden-after-knicks-game-criticism%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2613943&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith recently described President Donald Trump as an \u201cupgrade\u201d in terms of alertness compared to Joe Biden, after Trump appeared to be asleep during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Speaking on CNN\u2019s State of the Union,Smith questioned Trump\u2019s sharpness to hold office,criticizing some of his decisions and noting he&#8217;s not inclined to insult Trump&#8217;s intelligence,tho he challenged Trump to a public debate if he questions Smith\u2019s IQ. This comment followed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-trump-official-pulls-the-curtain-back-on-her-nasty-confrontation-with-desantis\/\" title=\"Top Trump Official Pulls the Curtain Back on Her &#039;Nasty&#039; Confrontation with DeSantis\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nine-inch-nails-frontman-trent-reznor-denounces-former-collaborator-marilyn-manson-in-light-of-allegations\/\" title=\"Nine Inch Nails Frontman Trent Reznor Denounces Former Collaborator Marilyn Manson In Light Of Allegations\">public feud<\/a> sparked<\/a> by Trump attending the Knicks\u2019 NBA Finals game, which Smith criticized, saying Trump&#8217;s presence caused stress for fans and contributed to the Knicks\u2019 loss.Trump responded by calling Smith \u201clow IQ\u201d and questioning his presidential prospects. Smith acknowledged Trump&#8217;s busy schedule but refused to insult his intellect, suggesting instead a direct debate.He also labeled Trump as narcissistic for attending the game and expressed willingness to compare iqs publicly to discuss presidential decisions. Smith clarified he isn&#8217;t interested in running for office himself but is open to a debate wiht Trump about leadership decisions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sports commentator <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/stephen-a-smith\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"10345\">Stephen A. Smith<\/a> on Sunday called President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> an \u201cupgrade\u201d from former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"471\">Joe Biden<\/a> in terms of \u201calertness\u201d after the president was caught appearing to be asleep during Game 3 of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nba\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"493\">NBA<\/a> Finals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on CNN\u2019s <em>State of the Union<\/em>, Smith was asked if he sees Trump as \u201csharp enough\u201d to hold office following discourse about the president seeming to sleep during public outings and events, including Monday\u2019s game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4607960\/trump-knicks-nba-finals-congratulations\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump congratulates Knicks and owner James Dolan on NBA Finals win: \u2018What a year\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4607683\/us-open-world-cup-victory-paraguay\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>US opens its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun\u2019s 2 goals<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4605265\/paxton-big-12-texas-tech-sorsby-sanction-threat\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Paxton threatens Big 12 over potential sanctions against Texas Tech<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t know anybody that would associate the word sharp with him because he doesn\u2019t seem that sharp with some of the decisions that he makes,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019m not here to denigrate or insult the president of the United States in that regard. He is certainly an upgrade from what we were seeing from Joe Biden in terms of his alertness and what have you.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Knicks\u2019 return to the Finals, in which they secured their first championship since 1973, sparked a new public feud between Smith and Trump. Smith first ripped Trump for attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals, saying the president\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >attendance caused undue stress<\/a> upon New York City residents and Knicks fans, adding that Trump would be blamed for a Knicks loss. The Knicks ultimately lost that game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4601141\/stephen-a-smith-trump-low-iq-jab\/?itm_source=parsely-api\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4601141\/stephen-a-smith-trump-low-iq-jab\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">responded to Smith\u2019s comments<\/a> by calling him \u201clow IQ\u201d and saying Smith does not have the \u201captitude\u201d to run for president, as Smith is often asked if he would run for the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smith had responded to Trump\u2019s jab previously, but on Sunday, Smith said he understands the stress put on Trump because of his job and was simply \u201cpointing out\u201d what happened at Madison Square Garden. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s got a lot on his plate,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHe certainly gets up early enough in the morning, and he certainly has time to post tweets on his Truth Social platform. He\u2019s always in front of the camera.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smith said he would not insult or question Trump\u2019s intellect because he is in \u201cno position to do that,\u201d but added that if Trump is going to question Smith\u2019s IQ, the two should engage in a public debate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe wants to sit up there and question my IQ and talk to me about people that would smoke me in a debate,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWell, why don\u2019t you do it yourself? \u2026 Because I\u2019ll be more than happy to sit across from the president and debate some of the decisions that he\u2019s made.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4599535\/stephen-smith-calls-trump-narcissistic-attend-knicks-game\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4599535\/stephen-smith-calls-trump-narcissistic-attend-knicks-game\/\">STEPHEN A. SMITH CALLS TRUMP \u2018NARCISSISTIC\u2019 FOR ATTENDING KNICKS GAME<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smith noted that he is not interested in running for office because he is not willing to give up his job, but said if his intelligence is going to be questioned, the two should sit down together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would certainly say that if you really, really want to be serious about questioning somebody\u2019s IQ, put me at the same table as you, and we can have a discussion in front of the masses about some decisions that you\u2019ve made on behalf, supposedly, of the American people, and we\u2019ll see where my IQ lands,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smith: Trump more alert than Biden after NBA Finals incident<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2613944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-collage-mu1b6qjjr-1775748551974-e1775749985541.jpg?1775735927&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[11181,5894,3847],"class_list":["post-2613943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-knicks","tag-politics","tag-sports"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-collage-mu1b6qjjr-1775748551974-e1775749985541.jpg?1775735927&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613943"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2613947,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613943\/revisions\/2613947"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2613944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}