Stephen A Smith reveals Barack Obama privately called him after Biden criticism ahead of 2024 election

Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken ESPN personality and podcast host, has revealed that former President Barack Obama reached out to him privately before the 2024 election to discuss his media influence—a conversation Smith says he honored by keeping confidential.

Smith disclosed the previously unknown call during an interview with "The Culture Table," a podcast hosted by Tori Cooper, Sumatra Abernathy, and Ashley Christopher. The veteran broadcaster said Obama wanted to speak with him privately rather than appear on his show.

"What I never told y'all, and I never brought up, is that Barack Obama called me too," Smith said. "The content of that conversation will remain private because I will not violate trust. He called before the election to discuss my impact, but he didn't come on the podcast either."

Smith expressed frustration that prominent Democrats sought his ear privately but avoided appearing on his program publicly. Beyond Obama, he said former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democratic congresswomen Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York had all reached out to him without agreeing to come on air.

"It's like I'm taking these hits, and these are people that want to facilitate or assist in the facilitation of these narratives being disseminated about me," Smith said. "But the same people calling me privately, having discussions upon which I have never violated—this is the first time anyone has ever heard me publicly state that Barack Obama called me."

The longtime sports commentator, who has expanded into political commentary in recent years, suggested he represents a figure Democrats find uncomfortable.

"I think the Democrats fear my footsteps," Smith said. "I think they know that they have a legitimate fear that I can influence the election potentially."

Smith also addressed recent criticism from the National Association of Black Journalists, which awarded him a "thumbs-down" recognition at an Atlanta gala. He rejected the organization's characterization of his work, calling it a "personal hit job."

"We can sit up there and lollygag around and act like we don't know any better," Smith said. "It was a personal hit job. Which, by the way, usually doesn't phase me. I know you think something phases me, just because you see me commenting on it. No, I'm in this business. I have a platform."

Smith specifically challenged NABJ President Errin Haines, questioning why the organization did not contact him directly before making its decision.

"Disparaging Black women is a very incendiary thing to say," Smith said. "If you felt that adamant about it, NABJ President Errin Haines, how come I never got a call?"

Smith also revealed he had attempted to reach out to Haines to discuss the organization's concerns, though that conversation did not resolve the dispute.

The NABJ has defended its award, stating it was one of five recipients this year and that the organization's concerns "extend well beyond any one individual" to include threats to editorial independence, the treatment of Black journalists, and responsible use of media platforms.

Media analyst Joe Concha, a Fox News contributor, noted that high-profile Democrats have generally avoided non-traditional media platforms unlike former President Donald Trump, who appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast for three hours in 2024.

"High-profile Democrats want nothing to do with programs like Stephen A. Smith's," Concha said. "The same applies to potential 2028 presidential contenders such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rarely leaves her political comfort zone, and Kamala Harris, who avoided holding a traditional press conference during her vice presidency and presidential campaigns because she prefers to control the narrative."

Concha contrasted this approach with potential Republican nominees like JD Vance and Marco Rubio, whom he said have shown willingness to engage with diverse media outlets.

Regarding Harris specifically, Smith noted that while she requested a meeting with him and the two spent two hours together, she did not appear on his show before the election.

"She did not speak to me and come on my show before the election," Smith said. "Once again, in my opinion, they take paths of smaller resistance."

Neither Obama's office nor Harris' office responded immediately to requests for comment.