Stephen A. Smith Says 2026 Has Not Been His Year

Stephen A. Smith is not having the best year. The ESPN “First Take” co-host and so-called political pundit, who just so happens to be one of the richest media personalities in the industry, just revealed how difficult things have been for him.

​Known for his bold, abrasive, take-no-prisoners sports takes and opinions, Smith took a somber tone on his SiriusXM show, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith.”

‘This year has been very, very difficult for me,” Smith said.

He then admitted that a joke told by Kevin Hart at “The Roast of Kevin Hart” deeply affected him, adding that he was upset that someone he thought he had a good relationship with would say something so hurtful.

​“I have no issue with the joke, if it was a joke. If it wasn’t a joke, I still wouldn’t have an issue with it,” said Smith. “I have an issue with the fact that it came from him, somebody that I kind of know a little bit, that I got a lot of love and respect for.”

During the controversial roast, Hart joked that Smith belongs on his personal “Mount Rushmore of racism when it comes to hating Black people” alongside Shane Gillis, Kid Rock, and Hulk Hogan.

Smith went on to say that the joke unnerved him because he’s “taken a lot of heat” from people he believes have labeled him as being against Black interests without understanding what he’s done to help the community.

“At a time in my life, knowing I’ve spent my life fighting on behalf of my community, that people try to continue this narrative about me that I know is false, but that nevertheless still hurts to hear out of the mouth of anyone who knows me,” Smith argued.

Making a wild segue, Smith claimed that a faction of the Democratic Party is attempting to silence his political voice, noting that he “supports” most tenets espoused by the Democrats’ platform.

“Even though I’ve been very, very blessed and fortunate to secure my future in ways that I never thought imaginable…the flip side to that is that I’ve taken a lot of heat because of perceived positions that I may have had,“ he said. “As a result, you’ve had some people from the Democratic Party who don’t know that I’m aware of the steps and the lengths that they’ve been willing to go through to silence me, even though I’m somebody who has religiously voted Democrat and I support most Democratic views.”

Smith went on to say that some people in “positions of power” within the Democratic Party have had “the sole express purpose” of silencing his voice.

Over the past several years, Smith has garnered disdain for the ways he’s used his platform. Whether it’s threatening Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown with “top secret” information, his sexist comments directed at Black women, acting as if he would run for president, or bending over backwards to cozy up to Republicans. In his case, that old saying remains true: “What goes around, comes around.”

At almost the halfway point of 2026, if Smith wants to have a better year, instead of playing the victim, maybe he should take a hard look in the mirror.