‘The brother wasn’t awake,’ Stephen Smith hits back at Trump after ‘low IQ’ jab
Stephen A. Smith claps back at Trump:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 9, 2026
“The brother wasn't awake. If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep? Didn't you call out former President Joe Biden, 'Sleepy Joe'? Well, what should we call you?”
(via @FirstTake, h/t… pic.twitter.com/f5W7cUmoh0
WASHINGTON, DC: The war of words between President Donald Trump and Stephen A Smith appears to be escalating, with Smith now firing back after the president mocked him as “low IQ” over his Knicks comments.
Before Trump attends Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Smith argued that Trump should not go to the game.
He argued that Trump’s presence would require additional security measures, which could cause greater inconvenience to other fans.
The NYPD shut down a dozen blocks in Midtown Manhattan, and fans attending the game had to undergo “TSA-style” security screenings just to enter the arena.
Trump-Stephen spat over Knicks loss escalates
Trump had called Stephen “low-IQ” in response to a comment made by Stephen hours before the game.
Stephen said that he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost. The team went on to do just that, snapping a 13-game playoff win streak.
On Tuesday’s episode of First Take, Smith stood in front of a podium with an American flag graphic behind him.
Like a president addressing the country, Smith fired back at Trump, saying, “He wasn’t awake. If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep.”
He further referred to the clip showing Trump sitting in his suite with his eyes closed for an extended period of time.
“Didn’t you call our former President Joe Biden, ‘Sleepy Joe’? Well, what should we call you? Because you weren’t awake.”
Trump hits Smith with ‘low IQ’ jab over Knicks loss
When Trump was asked about Smith’s comments, he referenced Smith’s rumored presidential ambitions to take a swipe at his intelligence.
“I think he’s a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” the president said after the game. “You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”
“He wants to sit up there and talk about my low IQ. We’ll get to that in a second because that part really, really made me laugh, but wait for that. Instead, let me stick to the New York Knicks for a quick second here,” Stephen replied.
