Sports anchor Stephen A. Smith, a vocal supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, has made headlines once again by calling out Harris for her lack of public engagement. As Harris embarks on her presidential campaign following President Joe Biden’s decision to step down, Smith is urging her to speak up more. In a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN host expressed his frustration with Harris’ limited appearances and lack of interaction with the media.
“We’ve had one week, two weeks, three weeks and one day since Joe Biden stepped aside,” Smith noted. “The only damn place we’ve seen Kamala Harris is at pep rallies. What’s up? Somebody gotta say something, and it can’t just be the conservatives. Right is right.”
Stephen A. Smith Calling for Accountability
Smith’s critique comes 25 days into Harris’ campaign, during which she has yet to participate in a full-length press conference or one-on-one interview. Her strategy of avoiding the press has drawn criticism from both conservative and liberal media, with Smith joining the chorus of those calling for more transparency. He emphasized that even though he supports Harris politically, her lack of communication is not fair to the American people.
“You can’t be running for the presidency of the United States, not one single press conference, not one single one-on-one,” Smith argued. “That’s not fair!”
Smith’s concerns are echoed by others in the media. The Washington Post editorial board recently questioned Harris’ decision to dodge the media, and CNN anchor Jim Acosta called out her campaign for not allowing more interviews. Harris’ communications director, Michael Tyler, has only vaguely promised that she will conduct an interview by the end of the month.
Despite his critique, Smith remains a strong supporter of Harris, even addressing her directly during his podcast. “I’m talking to my sister here. Come on now. You’re running for the presidency of the United States of America. You got my vote. What you hiding for?”