Stephen A. Smith says Trump's dinner came with a no-phone rule
His response to Charlamagne tha God, Jemele Hill and D.L. Hughley pairs a practical explanation with a refusal to apologize for attending.
Stephen A. Smith
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 355,713 views a day, 8.2 times a normal first day on this channel (43,623).
Stephen A. Responds to Jemele Hill, Charlamagne tha God & D.L. Hughley Over His Dinner With Trump
Things we can learn from the video
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- 1:18Smith says Bill Maher invited him to attend the White House dinner.
- 4:20He recounts raising Black unemployment, DEI programs and HBCU funding with Trump.
- 12:37Smith refuses to apologize for attending and argues that dialogue with political leaders is necessary.
- 21:52Answering Charlamagne's recording comments, Smith says White House rules required guests to surrender their phones.
- 27:15His response to Jemele Hill argues that engaging with people in power can produce concrete results.
- 30:56Smith addresses D.L. Hughley's criticism and explains his frustration with objections to the dinner.
He wanted a recording, too. Responding to Charlamagne tha God's comments about documenting his dinner with Donald Trump, Stephen A. Smith says that option disappeared at the White House entrance.
"They made it very, very clear at the gate: no cell phones," Smith says. "Of course I would love to have recorded it."
That explanation is one of the new details in a special edition of Straight Shooter, following his earlier accounts of the visit. The response drew roughly 140,000 views in six hours, already well beyond the channel's usual full-day audience for a regular video.
Smith says Bill Maher invited him after receiving an invitation from Trump. He recounts raising Black unemployment, DEI programs and funding for historically Black colleges and universities, then examines a public challenge from Walter M. Kimbrough to claims about the history of that funding. Smith connects his commitment to HBCUs to a promise to his former college coach, Clarence "Big House" Gaines.
The distinction he keeps returning to is between attending a dinner and endorsing the person hosting it. Addressing criticism from Hill and Hughley as well as Charlamagne, he argues that direct access offers a chance to press for resources and policy changes.
"Let me tell y'all something. I'm not apologizing for this," he says. His defense is not that he and Trump agree, but that disagreement is a reason to have the conversation.
Published on Trari
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- Channel
- Stephen A. Smith
- Subscribers
- 1,420,000 ▲ 10,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 2,427,986
- Channel views, pace per day
- 492,337 (on a normal day: 229,550)
- Video published
- October 20, 2026
- Video views so far
- 141,156 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 355,713
The numbers
The response passed the channel's usual full-day views within its first six hours. Its comment count had also already exceeded a typical first day.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which radio show features Charlamagne tha God?
Charlamagne tha God is a host of The Breakfast Club, whose commentary Smith addresses in the video.