Stephen A. Smith Returns to The View—And Completely Dismantles the Panel Once Again

Stephen A. Smith was invited back to The View, but if the hosts were expecting a redemption arc after their last disastrous clash with him, they were sadly mistaken. What unfolded was a total breakdown of the panel’s talking points—especially Sunny Hostin’s—as Stephen A. calmly but forcefully dismantled each narrative thrown at him.

It quickly became clear: The View will think twice before inviting him again.

Stephen A. Shuts Down the Epstein Talking Points

The tension started immediately when the panel attempted to revive the claim that Donald Trump was secretly implicated in the Epstein files. Stephen A. pushed back:

Yes, Trump is mentioned in the files.

No, there’s no evidence of illegal behavior.

And if there had been anything substantive, it would’ve surfaced during the election season, when every possible effort was made to prevent Trump’s return to the White House.

Sunny Hostin chimed in to insist Trump must be guilty simply because she wants him to be. Stephen A. didn’t budge. His point was simple: wishful thinking isn’t evidence, and the political obsession with finding Trump guilty of something has nothing to do with justice for Epstein’s victims.

Sunny Hostin Tries to Corner Him—It Immediately Backfires

Sunny tried shifting the conversation to Stephen A.’s criticism of Senator Mark Kelly, accusing him of “crossing the line” by participating in a video that reminded military members they may refuse illegal orders.

Before she even completed the setup, Stephen A. brushed aside her forced friendliness (“You know I like you, right?”), refusing to play into the staged warmth that the panel often uses to soften an attack.

Sunny rolled the clip of Stephen A.’s original critique—then smugly invited him to “change his position.”

Stephen A. didn’t hesitate:

“I’m not changing a thing. I didn’t stutter once.”

Sunny accused him of misunderstanding the Code of Military Conduct. Stephen A. fired back, explaining he had already consulted multiple military members:

The issue wasn’t the statement about illegal orders.

It was the implication—coming from a combat veteran—that soldiers should be on alert for impending illegality from the commander-in-chief.

Such messaging disrupts the chain of command and weaponizes the military against the presidency.

Sunny insisted he was wrong. Stephen A. calmly responded that senators and governors privately told him the opposite.

No matter how many times Sunny tried to redirect or interrupt, Stephen A.’s point held firm: the video was unnecessary, politically charged, and irresponsible.

Whoopi Goldberg Tries to Rescue the Situation—And Fails

Sensing the meltdown, Whoopi jumped in to argue that Democrats simply wanted to show support for vulnerable communities—LGBTQ Americans, women, minorities.

Stephen A. prepared to respond with equal force, but before he could finish, Joy Behar abruptly cut to commercial.

It felt less like a scheduled break and more like pressing the emergency button.

Stephen A. Returns From the Break and Cooks the Entire Democratic Party

After the commercial, Stephen A. was asked about rumors of him running for president. His answer simmered with brutal honesty:

“I’d probably be a better candidate than most Democrats.”

He praised a few leaders he respects—Wes Moore, Josh Shapiro, Ro Khanna—but said the rest of the field is weak, especially compared to rising Republicans like JD Vance or Marco Rubio.

He pointed out the undeniable problems facing Democratic strongholds:

California’s homelessness crisis

Sky-high cost of living

Rising crime

Failing affordability

And he insisted he has no interest in entering politics because the Democratic Party has become consumed by identity politics and internal chaos.

Final Thoughts

Stephen A. Smith went on The View and did exactly what the producers feared he would do:
He challenged their narratives, refused to back down, and exposed the weaknesses in their arguments.

Sunny Hostin’s attempt to “get revenge” only highlighted her own intellectual rigidity and unwillingness to accept opposing viewpoints. Whoopi tried to intervene, but even she couldn’t redirect the conversation without cutting to commercial.

Stephen A. walked away unbothered, unshaken, and—once again—victorious.