Overview
- Smith issued the apology Wednesday in an impromptu segment for his SiriusXM show and in a video, acknowledging the potential harm of his earlier critique.
- He stopped short of retracting his substantive concerns about Crockett’s combative style but stressed his respect for her accomplishments and role.
- Citing recent comments in which Trump called Crockett “a very low IQ person,” Smith said he does not want to be linked to rhetoric targeting Black women.
- The apology followed days of backlash after Smith’s Oct. 8 remarks describing Crockett’s language as “for the streets,” which he initially defended on Oct. 13.
- Crockett said on SiriusXM that she is considering a 2026 U.S. Senate run, adding political context to the media dust-up.