Stephen A. Smith on Friday linked Trumpism to some people online using WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark to push racism and misogyny and to attack other WNBA players.
The ESPN host argued that while Clark was “the name of the day to use,” she benefited from being a “white, young lady” and pointed to the broader issue of equal representation in women’s basketball, particularly for success.
“She's been a magnet in a way that has benefited the league in ways that others have not, even though their efforts have been worthy and deserving of being as celebrated — if not even more celebrated,” Smith said on his “First Take” show. “And it's a reminder that no matter how far we believe that we have advanced as a society, there's still such a long way to go, because in the end, if you're white, you're bright, you're right, and as a result the shine comes your way in the eyes of a lot of people in America.”
Smith linked the WNBA controversy to Trump supporters who want to “Make America White Again” and the larger political divide in the United States, arguing that the divide has “been in existence all along.”
“You have somebody that's a presidential candidate. What is his claim to fame? ‘Make America Great Again.’ What have people interpreted that to mean? ‘Make America White Again.’ These are the things that critics have said,” Smith said. “He has his supporters spanning the tens of millions; there are others on the other side having tens of millions of supporters on their side. What has that led to? A divide. It is not a divide that is created; it is a divide that's Illuminated because it's highlighting and showing that it's been in existence all along. It hasn't gone anywhere."
