Stephen A. Smith has built a career on loud opinions, but his latest tirade against President Trump reveals more about the ESPN host’s disconnect from everyday Americans than any genuine policy critique. During his SiriusXM show Friday, as reported by SiriusXM transcripts, Smith unleashed a profanity-laced rant over Trump’s executive order protecting the Army-Navy game from competing broadcasts, asking repeatedly, “Who the hell does this man think he is?”
The President signed the “Preserving America’s Game” executive order during a ceremony honoring the Navy Midshipmen for their Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy victory. The order ensures that no other college football games will be scheduled against the Army-Navy matchup, preserving what Trump called “one of the most special occasions in all of sports” from encroachment by expanded College Football Playoff scheduling, as stated by Trump during the ceremony.
Smith’s meltdown was immediate and revealing. “It’s stuff like this from the President of the United States that pisses me off,” he fumed, according to the SiriusXM broadcast. “Who the hell does he think he is? Every single time I try to be fair and fair-minded to this president, he pulls some BS like this.” The sports commentator seemed particularly incensed that Trump would use executive authority to protect a tradition that predates modern broadcast economics, complaining that the President was “telling the broadcast world” what they can and cannot air.
But Smith misses the point entirely, as coastal elites so often do. The Army-Navy game represents something far more significant than television ratings or advertising revenue. It honors the men and women who volunteer to defend this nation, often at tremendous personal cost; for four hours each December, the country unites to watch future military leaders compete in a rivalry that stretches back to 1890, as noted in historical records from the service academies.
Trump understands what Smith apparently cannot grasp: some things transcend market forces. The President joked about potential lawsuits from networks who might prefer to schedule around the game, saying, “We’ll probably get sued at some point. We will get sued, but we win those suits, and we’ll win this one,” according to White House event coverage. That confidence reflects a broader truth about this administration’s approach to cultural preservation.
Smith’s outrage says less about the executive order itself and more about the media establishment’s reflexive opposition to anything Trump does, even when it involves honoring military tradition. When a sports commentator becomes this animated over protecting a game that celebrates service academies, one wonders what actually motivates the criticism. Is it principled opposition to executive overreach, or simply the habit of opposing Trump regardless of the issue?
The American people know the answer. They also know that protecting traditions that honor our military is exactly the kind of leadership they voted for. Providence watches over the bold.
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