Stephen A Smith says some have 'a lot of damn nerve' for hammering Trump on Iran after fretting about country

29 Mar 2026 By foxnews

Stephen A. Smith tore into both Republicans and Democrats Friday for lacking clear leadership, suggesting the country is facing a political vacuum while bluntly asking, "Where's the leadership?"

"Look at the Republican Party right now. It's Trump. You know what I said the other week on my show? I said, 'Y'all do know he's leaving in 2028, right?' Unless he circumvents the 22nd Amendment and runs for a third term, he's leaving," Smith said of the GOP on "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"JD Vance, you ain't [Trump]. Don't think you are. Marco Rubio, thank God he doesn't try to be. The rest of these people fawning over him in such embarrassing fashion, you ain't going to be him."

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Smith also called out Democrats over Iran, arguing that people in both parties have long called for getting tough with the country.

"They're taking this position that Trump was wrong to go after Iran or what have you, but practically every president before him would complain about Iran and how Iran needed to be dealt with, but then, all of a sudden, he does it, and it's a big problem," he said.

"Now, I'm not saying that he's handled it entirely correctly. Please don't get me wrong because he hasn't," he said.

"But the flip side to it is that you have got a lot of damn nerve to be in the face of the American people saying for numerous administrations, 'Iran is a problem. They have to be dealt with …', and then this man deals with them, and then, all of a sudden, you're complaining about him. Now it doesn't really make sense."

He also criticized Democrats, arguing they have failed to produce a compelling leader of their own.

"The Democrats, my God, please find somebody who can lead," he said.

"Gavin Newsom … he's being known more for trolling Trump on his podcast or with other interviews than what he's actually doing in the State of California. They think that's leadership because they don't have it."

Smith, who was once floated as a potential 2028 candidate, has been critical of both sides of the aisle and previously said he would back Secretary of State Marco Rubio over some top Democrats while ruling out a presidential run of his own.

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"He's an adult in the room. There is no questioning his qualifications for the job," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity on the new "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast.

Smith revealed that, despite being a Democrat, he would choose Rubio over many of the party's prominent figures, including Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

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