Stephen A. Smith took another pointed swipe at the Dallas Cowboys shortly after leaving the White House, where he had interviewed President Donald Trump.
The ESPN personality, whose annual salary is reportedly $20 million, sat down with Trump on Thursday, a little more than a week after Republicans suffered heavy losses in the Midterm elections.
Their conversation in the Roosevelt Room covered Trump’s disappointing Midterm results, the conflict with Iran and the controversy surrounding Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s former chief executive.
Sports did not feature in the formal interview, but Smith found a way to bring up his long-standing contempt for the Cowboys once the cameras and microphones were no longer rolling.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Smith was asked whether Trump could revive the struggling Cowboys if he owned the team.
Smith did not hesitate before delivering his verdict: ‘Nobody can turn around the Dallas Cowboys.’
Stephen A. Smith mocked the Cowboys after being asked whether Donald Trump could repair the franchise
Dallas is 4-5 this season and trying to stay in the playoff race after several damaging defeats
Trump and the ESPN host discussed politics during their Thursday meeting in the Roosevelt Room
Smith has never hidden his dislike of the Cowboys and has enjoyed their struggles again this year, with Jerry Jones’s team sitting at 4-5 and facing an uphill battle to reach the postseason.
As Our News Outlet reported last month, veteran NFL journalist Peter King wrote in his latest book that Trump once had the opportunity to purchase the Cowboys in 1984.
Trump ultimately decided against making an offer because he considered the reported $50 million asking price too steep.
‘I feel sorry for the poor guy who is going to buy the Dallas Cowboys,’ Trump told The New York Times at the time.
That buyer turned out to be Jones, who acquired the famous franchise for $140 million in 1989 and guided it to three Super Bowl victories during the 1990s.
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Jones, the 84-year-old billionaire and former Arkansas offensive lineman, donated $1 million to Trump’s MAGA Inc. and a further $500,000 to Texas political races ahead of the Midterms, according to Federal Election Commission records first reported by Front Office Sports and later reviewed by Our News Outlet.
Among those donations was $250,000 for the Paxton Victory PAC, which supported Republican Ken Paxton’s bid for the US Senate before he was defeated in Texas by Democrat James Talarico.
During his interview with Smith, Trump described Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s former CEO, as ‘brilliant’ but said Huang was right to resign if allegations that he had an affair with a Chinese spy are confirmed.
Trump praised former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang as ‘brilliant’ but said resigning was the right decision
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Huang stepped down as NVIDIA’s CEO on Friday, 33 years after co-founding the company and building it into the most valuable business in the United States.
His departure came one day after The New York Times reported that the 63-year-old had an affair with a subordinate, Kimberly Powell.
‘It’s sad. He’s an extraordinary talent. He accomplished something nobody else has. He created a chip so sophisticated and brilliant that it cannot simply be duplicated. What he built is remarkable—an incredible company,’ Trump said.
Smith then asked Trump directly whether Huang had made the right decision by resigning, prompting a noticeable pause before the President responded.
‘The key question was whether the woman was a spy. If she was a spy, then yes. If she was not a spy, perhaps the situation would be different,’ Trump said.
Trump went on to offer words of support for Huang, saying the former executive was ‘going through hell right now’ but would eventually move forward.
‘Somehow, he’ll land on his feet. I have always considered him a fine man. What troubles him most is the impact on his wife and family.’