Stephen A. Smith: President Donald Trump's Washington Redskins demand is attempt to 'distract' from Epstein files

by: Nick Kosko • 07/21/25 • nickkosko59

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called President Donald Trump’s Washington Redskins demand an attempt to distract from the “Jeffrey Epstein Files.” After the President essentially tossed all narratives and investigations into the potential release of those files, he’s since focused on other political issues, which even includes fives into sports.

But this is no NIL committee in an attempt to aid college athletics. President Trump called for the return of the Redskins nickname, as well as the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to go back to the Indians.

Initially a call to return to those nicknames, under a threat to restrict the Washington Commanders franchise building a new football stadium, the President clarified that he may do that. In light of all this, Smith called this a distraction from other real world issues.

“Well, I think it’s the President being petty,” Smith said on First Take. “I think it’s him being evasive. Because the reality is, no matter how good he wants people to believe things are with the big, beautiful bill and other things that have been transpiring, tariff wars, the border issues, or whatever. If you’re on the right, obviously you’re happy with a lot of things that are going on, and there’s nothing to take credit away from that. I’ll leave the political evaluations to other people. 

“But nevertheless, there are millions upon millions of people in the United States of America that are not necessarily happy with some of the things that he’s doing. So what does he do? He caters to his base. Because when you look at the Redskins name, obviously, it’s something that needed to be changed and that and by him bringing that issue up, we all know from a political landscape is much ado about nothing. It’s just him catering to his base to make sure that he serves to appease them in some way, to distract them from other issues, including the Epstein files, by the way, because a lot of people for the associated with the MAGA right want those files released, and you even have Republican representatives on the Hill wanting those files released, wanting to see for themselves, because they’re not buying what the administration is saying when they say that there’s absolutely nothing there.” 

Stephen A. Smith reacts to President Donald Trump’s call for Redskins

Smith dove into the overall issues in the Washington D.C. area, which are related in part to what President Trump is trying to do, or not trying to do. Under new ownership, the Washington Commanders have seen a resurgence, but a stadium is the next step. Currently, the President only wants to see it under the guise of the old-school Redskins logo and branding.

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