SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith used his program “Straight Shooter” on Wednesday to deliver [1] sharp criticism of several prominent Democrats, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
His comments came as new polling data showed Republicans holding significant leads over Democrats on key policy issues.
A Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted September 11 to 15 reported Republicans leading Democrats by 7 percentage points on the economy, 13 points on immigration, and 22 points on crime.
Smith used those numbers to question how Democratic leaders are positioning themselves for the future.
“Jasmine Crockett, you’re calling [President Donald Trump] everything under the sun,” Smith said.
“How’s that going to work if it serves to alienate folks because they’re saying you’re just him on the other side of the aisle acting the same way you’re accusing him of acting, and then you get dismissed?”
Crockett has referred to President Trump as an “enemy to the United States” and has compared him to Adolf Hitler.
Smith then turned his attention to Ocasio-Cortez, often mentioned as a potential presidential contender.
“AOC, I believe, can win the Senate seat in New York over Chuck Schumer! I don’t think she’ll win the presidency,” Smith said.
The SiriusXM host next focused on Newsom, who has frequently been discussed as a likely candidate in the 2028 presidential race.
Smith questioned the California governor’s record and whether it would hold up under national scrutiny.
“You going to pull it off with the record that took place in California all of these years under your stewardship!? It’s nice to see him sticking his chest out and going off!” Smith said.
“You think they don’t have clips of how you embraced extreme leftist policies during the whole woke movement and cancel culture and everything else!?”
Smith added: “You think they didn’t see people getting arrested and let out of jail the same day!? You think they don’t have footage of crime ravaging the streets of Los Angeles or homelessness!? You think they don’t know about the cost of living and how it’s the highest in this republic right now!?”
Homelessness has remained a persistent issue in California during Newsom’s time in office, with billions of dollars allocated to address it.
Newsom has said that longstanding policies restricting housing construction are partly to blame.
In March, Newsom denied that he or his office had used the term “Latinx.”
However, CNN later showed footage and posts contradicting that claim, pointing to instances in which he and his staff had used the term.
Polling suggests Newsom remains the leading Democrat for 2028 among registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.
A Yahoo/YouGov poll conducted from August 29 to September 2 placed him at 21 percent support, followed by Kamala Harris at 19 percent and Ocasio-Cortez at 12 percent.
CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten commented Monday that he was surprised Ocasio-Cortez polled so closely to Newsom, given her political positioning.
Ocasio-Cortez is a Democratic Socialist and co-author of the “Green New Deal,” a sweeping legislative proposal aimed at achieving net-zero emissions and guaranteeing jobs through federal programs.
Smith’s comments highlighted divisions within the Democratic Party as it prepares for future elections, while polling data continues to show Republicans gaining ground on issues voters rank among their top concerns.