Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith delivered a blunt political warning Thursday, arguing that President Donald Trump’s current trajectory could spell trouble for Republicans in this year’s midterm elections and beyond.
Speaking on his SiriusXM radio show, Smith predicted a sweeping electoral fallout if the administration does not change course. “To all the Republicans out there, to all the conservatives out there: You’re about to lose the midterms,” Smith said. He went even further, suggesting that Republicans could also be setting themselves up for defeat in the 2028 presidential election, placing the blame squarely on Trump.
Smith accused the president of “blowing it,” citing growing tensions surrounding the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota and what he described as a failure to deliver on campaign promises to lower the cost of living. According to Smith, these issues are creating political vulnerabilities that Democrats are poised to exploit.
“He’s blowing it for himself, he’s going to blow it for the GOP, he’s going to blow it for Congress, he’s going to blow it for the Senate, and he’s likely going to blow it for the White House,” Smith said, adding that Trump’s behavior has been a liability from the start. Smith argued that Trump’s pledge to restore a sense of normalcy has not matched the reality on the ground.
That critique focused heavily on Minnesota, where the administration has ramped up immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security is expected to deploy more than 2,000 agents to the state as part of ongoing operations. The increased federal presence comes amid sustained protests following the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
The unrest intensified after a second ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis roughly a week later, leading to confrontations between demonstrators and federal officials. Those incidents have become a flashpoint for critics of the administration and have fueled calls from Democrats for reforms at DHS and within Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Smith said the images and reports coming out of Minnesota undermine the administration’s message. “What we’re hearing about is chaos, chaos, chaos, and oh my lord, we don’t need to see this again,” he said, repeating the word for emphasis. He argued that voters are being reminded of past periods of unrest and are uneasy about seeing similar scenes resurface.
Smith also took aim at Trump’s communication style, suggesting that the president’s rhetoric is compounding the problem. “That’s what you’re hearing about, and you’re hearing a president that doesn’t know how to be quiet,” he said, framing Trump’s public statements as politically counterproductive.
The comments come as Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, potentially deploying additional troops in response to unrest. At the same time, affordability concerns remain a central issue for many Americans. Smith pointed to the rising cost of living and health care premiums, which increased after Affordable Care Act subsidies expired last year, as factors adding to voter frustration.
Smith’s remarks underscore a growing debate over how immigration enforcement, public unrest, and economic pressures could shape the political landscape heading into the midterms. While Republicans argue the administration is enforcing the law and prioritizing security, Smith warned that the optics and broader consequences could carry a steep political price if left unaddressed.
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