Overview
- In an ABC News All Access interview aired this week, Stephen A. Smith said Joy Reid and Rep. Jasmine Crockett should be "ashamed" and demanded evidence that he targets Black people.
- Smith acknowledged apologizing to Crockett in December for contributing to rhetoric against her, while defending his question about whether her language toward the president would help her win statewide in Texas.
- He suggested Reid's criticism followed the cancellation of her MSNBC show and cited what he called a 47% ratings drop to question her expectations about remaining on air.
- Reid responded on her show and social platforms by telling Smith to "stick to sports," accusing him of uneven standards, and pointing to a lack of comparable criticism of figures like Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump.
- She disputed his characterization of her ratings by citing reporting that they were rising when her show ended, as coverage of the back-and-forth spread across outlets.