Stephen A Smith debriefs interview with President Trump, warns Democrats face steep challenge

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith appeared on Fox News's Hannity Thursday to discuss his White House interview with President Donald Trump, offering insights into the commander-in-chief's mindset following the GOP's midterm losses. Smith characterized Trump as immovable in his refusal to take personal responsibility for the Republican party's poor performance.

Midterm Losses

During their 40-minute conversation, Smith and Trump discussed the devastating GOP midterm losses, which resulted in Democrats gaining control of Congress. We talked about the devastating losses in the midterms and how the GOP essentially got slaughtered, Smith told Hannity. When pressed on whether Trump would accept blame for the outcome, the president remained steadfast in his position.

Trump's Perspective

Smith recounted how Trump distanced himself from his earlier messaging that voters should treat the election as if he were on the ballot. He said, 'I wasn't on the ballot.' I said, 'That makes absolutely no sense, Mr. President. You said, put you on a ballot. That's what you told the American people to do.' Trump attributed the losses to poor Republican candidates rather than his own influence, according to Smith.

Smith expressed disagreement with Trump's assessment, suggesting the blue wave reflected American dissatisfaction with the presidency. I think that he is somebody that is convinced his way is what it is. I just don't agree with him, Smith stated, adding that Trump appeared detached to voters.

Democratic Challenges

Despite his criticism of Trump, Smith warned that Democrats face significant challenges from their progressive wing. I definitely think that right now, the Democrats have a challenge on their hands because clearly there's a lot of people out there that view the Democratic Party as a divided party, he said. Smith suggested the progressive left expects ideological purity from party members.

White House Speculation

Smith also addressed rumors that Trump had offered him the position of White House press secretary, calling the suggestion absolutely hilarious. He emphasized his comfortable lifestyle with ESPN and Disney, joking that he wouldn't accept such a role for almost anything but the presidency. Press secretary? Please, he added.