Stephen A. Smith pushed back against Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after the progressive candidate called for a national conversation about reparations while the United States faces more than $40 trillion in debt.
El-Sayed appeared Thursday on Smith’s “Straight Shooter” program, where the two sparred over federal spending, the national debt and responsibility for the nation’s financial condition.
Near the end of the interview, El-Sayed proposed another debate with Smith focused specifically on reparations.
The Democratic candidate had been discussing the creation of “revolving loan funds in local communities” to help establish “generational wealth” in communities with large minority populations. El-Sayed argued that those areas are frequently overlooked by federal funding and corporate tax cuts that fail to create the jobs supporters promise.
“Why are we still allowing racial and residential redlining to pattern how we fund our schools?” El-Sayed asked. “Why aren’t we willing to have a conversation about reparations, right? How are we still in a system —”
Smith quickly interrupted him with a reminder about the nation’s ballooning debt.
“Because we’re $40 trillion in debt!” Smith declared.
“Well, the $40 trillion in debt part, like, let’s who created that,” El-Sayed responded before placing most of the blame on Republicans.
Smith rejected that argument, insisting that responsibility extends across party lines.
“That’s all of us! Every administration has contributed to debt,” Smith told him.
El-Sayed maintained that the debt typically increases more under Republican leadership, pointing to tax cuts, military conflicts and the Trump administration’s strikes against Iran.
“But Stephen A., you know that always grows more under Republicans because they do two things,” El-Sayed said. “They cut taxes for billionaires, and they send us to wars we have no business fighting.”
“So what are we doing now? One big ugly bill, cut taxes for billionaires, and fighting a war we don’t need to fight,” he continued.
Smith then raised the massive federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Covid too. That wasn’t the war. Covid’s not a part of it,” Smith said, referring to the more than $5 trillion added to the debt through pandemic-era spending.
El-Sayed responded that the pandemic spending also occurred under a Republican administration and blamed Trump for failing to manage the crisis. Smith then moved the conversation forward.
The national debt crossed $40 trillion this month after doubling under Trump and former President Joe Biden, according to Reuters. It stood at approximately $19.95 trillion when Trump first entered office in 2017.
El-Sayed has faced criticism from members of his own party over previous progressive positions and his association with far-left streamer Hasan Piker. Despite that backlash, he defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic primary.
He will face Trump-backed Republican Mike Rogers in the midterm election.
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