Sportscaster and political commentator Stephen A. Smith criticized former first lady Jill Biden and Democratic Party leaders during a radio interview Sunday, arguing they damaged the party’s credibility by dismissing concerns about former President Joe Biden’s health during the 2024 election cycle.
Speaking with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on WABC Radio’s Pulse of the People, Smith pointed to comments Jill Biden recently made about her husband’s performance during the June 2024 presidential debate against then-candidate Donald Trump.
Smith said he was particularly troubled by Jill Biden’s public response following the widely criticized debate, during which many viewers raised concerns about the president’s age and mental sharpness.
“That last part really, really disturbed me, and it really bothered me,” Smith said during the interview.
Following the debate, Jill Biden praised her husband during a campaign appearance, telling him, “Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question, you knew all the facts.”
Smith argued that those comments contributed to a broader perception that Democratic leaders were not being transparent with the public about Biden’s condition.
“At that time, his wife comes out, and she applauds his effort, and she said he was wonderful and he answered all the questions and all of this other stuff,” Smith said.
According to Smith, the situation reinforced criticism that Democrats were attempting to shape a narrative rather than openly address voters’ concerns. He argued that party leaders missed an opportunity to encourage Biden to step aside earlier and allow a competitive primary process to determine the party’s nominee.
“They had an opportunity to push him out and to position themselves to have a primary where a viable candidate to go up against Donald Trump would have happened the right way,” Smith said.
Smith clarified that his criticism was not directed specifically at former Vice President Kamala Harris, who ultimately became the Democratic nominee after Biden withdrew from the race.
“I’m not trying to say that Kamala Harris was the wrong candidate,” Smith said. “What I am trying to say, however, is the process that she had to endure was wrong because by bypassing a primary and ultimately being inserted as the Democratic nominee.”
Smith also suggested that Biden may have felt encouraged to seek reelection after Democrats performed better than many expected in the 2022 midterm elections.
Cuomo largely agreed with Smith’s assessment, arguing that many Democrats privately recognized Biden’s struggles but continued to defend him publicly.
“I think it cost us a great amount of credibility, especially the Democratic Party, which is supposed to be the party of truth and courage,” Cuomo said.
Both men emphasized that their criticism of Democrats does not translate into support for President Donald Trump. Smith noted that he has significant disagreements with Trump and argued that Democrats have hurt themselves politically by focusing too heavily on attacking the president rather than presenting voters with a clear vision of their own agenda.
“When you look at the Democratic Party, and you talk about credibility and what they’re lacking, the why is profound,” Smith said. “You’re lacking credibility because you focused on the wrong things.”
Cuomo echoed that sentiment, arguing that Democrats need to make a stronger affirmative case to voters about what they hope to accomplish rather than centering their message primarily on opposition to Trump.
