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Stephen A. Smith defended his decision to attend a dinner with President Donald Trump, Bill Maher, and Kid Rock during an appearance on The View Wednesday.
Smith said Maher invited him and that he attended to discuss unemployment among Black women, the Protect College Sports Act, and funding for historically Black colleges and universities.
“I came there with three agendas,” Smith said, adding that Trump acknowledged he had not considered how opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies might discourage donations to HBCUs.
When the cohosts raised Trump’s history of controversial comments and allegations of racial bias, Smith responded that Trump remains president and has significant executive power.
“He’s not going away until 2028,” Smith said.
“You’re going to have to deal with him.”
Smith also said he challenged Trump during dinner over his foreign policy, including his positions on Venezuela, Russia, Ukraine, and Iran.
According to Smith, Trump responded by highlighting potential economic gains and saying, “Wait for it.”
Smith said he was not apologizing for attending the dinner, arguing that he wanted to pursue any opportunity that could benefit the Black community.