February 22, 2025 • 9 mins
Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
My buddy and longtime Trump supporter, the great one himself,
Mark Levin, is turning heads with an about face on
his steadfast backing of the president. The Fox News host,
speaking on his eponymous radio show, broke solidarity with Trump
over his recent attacks on the Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky,
warning Trump that quote MAGA doesn't support Putin. Levin said,
(00:26):
Trump's recent accusations that Zelensky is a dictator and that
the Ukrainian leader is stopping free elections and has a very.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Low approval rating are all false.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Levin said, in part quote, Zelensky ordered martial law.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
That's what the constitution they're compelled.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Zelensky hasn't called for an election, That's what the constitution
that compels. Now I'm waiting for the first free election
for Vladimir Putin. I mean, this is almost comical in
a sick way that Putin is.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Demanding an election.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Why is he demanding an election in Ukraine when he
doesn't have free in real life elections in his own country.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
There are people that not only oppose Zelenski but seem
to support Putin. Levin wasn't finished. He continued, Ukraine did
not invade Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukraine doesn't have the
industrial might that a Russia has or a China. They
didn't start this war. What were they supposed to do?
Rollover and play dead. MAGA doesn't support Putin. Eighty one
(01:27):
percent of the American people do not trust Putin because
eighty one percent.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Of the American people are smart. End quote.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
As a reminder, here's what Trump said on truth Social
on Wednesday, quote think of it. A modestly successful comedian
Vladimyer Zelensky talked the United States of America and is
spending three hundred and fifty billion dollars to go into
a war that couldn't be won, that never had to start,
but a war that he without the US and Trump
will never be able to settle. The United States has
(01:56):
spent two hundred billion dollars more than Europe, and Europe's
money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Why didn't sleepy Joe Biden demand.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Equalization and that this war is far more important to
Europe than it is to us. We have a big,
beautiful ocean a separation. On top of this, Zelensky admits
that half of the money we sent them is missing.
He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls,
and the only thing he was good at was playing
Biden like a fiddle to dictate it without elections. Zolensky
better move fast or he's not going to have a
(02:25):
country left. I can't take it no more, give it all,
Just stop it, guys. I don't need to read more
than this. First of all, Trump is full of it.
And what we need to understand is that this looks very,
very bad if people will open their freaking eyes. Because
(02:48):
once again, in a situation involving pooent and Russia, Trump
comes across more favorable towards Poo than the other party.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Russia invaded Ukraine.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Russia initiated the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.
Russia is considered the one with a dictator. Ukraine only
wants his own sovereignty. It's on sovereign land. Now they're
talking about joining the EU, which they need to, and
(03:22):
I get all of that, but we're talking about a
country that's been invaded. Now you can make a debate.
You can make an argument that the United States give
them too much money.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You can say that Joe Biden the elect to give
them too much money, okay, But to turn around and
call them a dictator while speaking favorably of Putin makes
no sense. And props to Mark Levin for calling it out.
Let me give y'all a background, because see, people see
(03:55):
me talking to liberals and they know that I voted
for Kamala Harris and stuff like that. John Handedy is
not my only buddy, so is Mark Levin. I've known
him for twenty years. I'm on his show frequently. He
calls me all the time. His nickname is the Great One.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
You know why.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
I think it's appropriate because I've never seen an individual
in my life that wanted to debate that man because
he knows what the hell he's talking about. Constitutional law
expert for those of you who don't know. And I
almost never hear him speaking against diehard Republicans. He might
be going to get rhinos Republicans and name only. Yeah,
(04:34):
he'll call him out, but he certainly never spoke against Trump.
He's been one of the most staunched supporters of Trump.
So for Trump to be called out by him, there's
a big, big deal.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
You're listening to me showing handedy. Are you listening?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I mean when you call me on as a guest
and your show is Handedy Handedy nine pm week nights,
nine pm Eastern Standard Time on Fox News, where I
have visited frequently.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I ain't hear your call about this one, Sean Hannity,
what's up.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I don't hear you talking now that the Great One
has disagreed with your boy Donald Trump. See what the
Republicans are gonna have to get beyond. And I'm not
casting any dispersions on let me be very very clear.
Friends with Hannity Levin. I'm a fan of Megan Kelly
and the work that she does. I really really am.
(05:24):
I was on Dave Ruben's podcast.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Okay, all right. I mean, you know, I've known Chris
Christy for years.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
There's plenty of Republicans and there's plenty of conservative policies
that I.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Don't mind a lot.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I don't like either, though, But here's the deal. I
bring all of that up to say right is right
and wrong is wrong. And I appreciate Mark Levin being
one of those Republicans that doesn't say that Donald Trump
is spreading perfume when he's passing gas.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I appreciate that because somebody gotta do it.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
If you don't have people on the right that, I'm
not willing to say to Donald Trump, Yo, man, you're
going a bit too far. Yo man, I think this
is the wrong way to go. I don't think this
is good for the country. I don't think this is
good for the world. I think you're wrong in this one.
As Mark Levin articulated very eloquently, I might add, if
you don't have anybody on the right that's willing.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
To do that, then we are in trouble. See.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
To me, the issue of Trump being in office is
not the biggest issue.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's him being in the office devoid of checks and balances.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I don't mind him being in his office more than
I mind the Republicans having both the House and the
Senate and he gets to operate with impunity. That's my fear.
But Mark Levin provided everybody hope see, and just to
remind y'all, just as an aside, Republicans are welcome on
(07:06):
the show. If you ain't seen them on, they it's
because they haven't elected to come Byron Donald's been on
the show before. We've put out personal invitations to Marco Rubio,
Ted Cruz, jd Vance, Donald Trump himself. Okay, handed he's
already been on this show. I don't have any problems.
(07:27):
I'm a fair minded individual. I'm an independent I want
both sides expressing themselves to.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
The American people.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I don't have to be an expert, mister James Carvel
to interview somebody and to get their perspective, to let
the American people hear what they have to say, and
then you.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Be the judge.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
But I know this much, I don't need to be
an expert on the war in Ukraine to recognize the
fact that Russia did attack them. You could talk about
the history of the role of the United States played
in it. You know, you could talk about that all
day long. I got my notes on that stuff. We
(08:07):
can get into that another day. In the end, Russia
elected to attack Ukraine. And because Russia elected to do that,
you can't get around that. You can't be talking about
Russia like they're the friendly folds that they didn't instigate
this war. Mark Levin was absolutely right. I was a
(08:36):
fan of his show to begin with, but I appreciated
him even more today because when you take the kind
of stance that he has taken against Donald Trump. It
shows that you're trustworthy. I knew that before and before,
but I know it even more now.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Let's see if the rest follows. Okay, somebody farting passing
gas is farting in passing gas. It's not perfume.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's nice to see somebody on the right willing to
call it like that.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Okay, right is right.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Wrong is wrong Donald Trump and going after Selensky, Nah,
you ain't got any business doing that. You don't want
to give you more money, don't give you more money.
But you ain't got to talk about him like that,
like he's the villain and all of this. That's going
a bit too far.
My buddy and longtime Trump supporter, the great one himself,
Mark Levin, is turning heads with an about face on
his steadfast backing of the president. The Fox News host,
speaking on his eponymous radio show, broke solidarity with Trump
over his recent attacks on the Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky,
warning Trump that quote MAGA doesn't support Putin. Levin said,
(00:26):
Trump's recent accusations that Zelensky is a dictator and that
the Ukrainian leader is stopping free elections and has a very.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Low approval rating are all false.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Levin said, in part quote, Zelensky ordered martial law.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
That's what the constitution they're compelled.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Zelensky hasn't called for an election, That's what the constitution
that compels. Now I'm waiting for the first free election
for Vladimir Putin. I mean, this is almost comical in
a sick way that Putin is.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Demanding an election.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Why is he demanding an election in Ukraine when he
doesn't have free in real life elections in his own country.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
There are people that not only oppose Zelenski but seem
to support Putin. Levin wasn't finished. He continued, Ukraine did
not invade Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukraine doesn't have the
industrial might that a Russia has or a China. They
didn't start this war. What were they supposed to do?
Rollover and play dead. MAGA doesn't support Putin. Eighty one
(01:27):
percent of the American people do not trust Putin because
eighty one percent.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Of the American people are smart. End quote.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
As a reminder, here's what Trump said on truth Social
on Wednesday, quote think of it. A modestly successful comedian
Vladimyer Zelensky talked the United States of America and is
spending three hundred and fifty billion dollars to go into
a war that couldn't be won, that never had to start,
but a war that he without the US and Trump
will never be able to settle. The United States has
(01:56):
spent two hundred billion dollars more than Europe, and Europe's
money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Why didn't sleepy Joe Biden demand.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Equalization and that this war is far more important to
Europe than it is to us. We have a big,
beautiful ocean a separation. On top of this, Zelensky admits
that half of the money we sent them is missing.
He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls,
and the only thing he was good at was playing
Biden like a fiddle to dictate it without elections. Zolensky
better move fast or he's not going to have a
(02:25):
country left. I can't take it no more, give it all,
Just stop it, guys. I don't need to read more
than this. First of all, Trump is full of it.
And what we need to understand is that this looks very,
very bad if people will open their freaking eyes. Because
(02:48):
once again, in a situation involving pooent and Russia, Trump
comes across more favorable towards Poo than the other party.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Russia invaded Ukraine.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Russia initiated the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.
Russia is considered the one with a dictator. Ukraine only
wants his own sovereignty. It's on sovereign land. Now they're
talking about joining the EU, which they need to, and
(03:22):
I get all of that, but we're talking about a
country that's been invaded. Now you can make a debate.
You can make an argument that the United States give
them too much money.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You can say that Joe Biden the elect to give
them too much money, okay, But to turn around and
call them a dictator while speaking favorably of Putin makes
no sense. And props to Mark Levin for calling it out.
Let me give y'all a background, because see, people see
(03:55):
me talking to liberals and they know that I voted
for Kamala Harris and stuff like that. John Handedy is
not my only buddy, so is Mark Levin. I've known
him for twenty years. I'm on his show frequently. He
calls me all the time. His nickname is the Great One.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
You know why.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
I think it's appropriate because I've never seen an individual
in my life that wanted to debate that man because
he knows what the hell he's talking about. Constitutional law
expert for those of you who don't know. And I
almost never hear him speaking against diehard Republicans. He might
be going to get rhinos Republicans and name only. Yeah,
(04:34):
he'll call him out, but he certainly never spoke against Trump.
He's been one of the most staunched supporters of Trump.
So for Trump to be called out by him, there's
a big, big deal.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
You're listening to me showing handedy. Are you listening?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I mean when you call me on as a guest
and your show is Handedy Handedy nine pm week nights,
nine pm Eastern Standard Time on Fox News, where I
have visited frequently.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I ain't hear your call about this one, Sean Hannity,
what's up.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I don't hear you talking now that the Great One
has disagreed with your boy Donald Trump. See what the
Republicans are gonna have to get beyond. And I'm not
casting any dispersions on let me be very very clear.
Friends with Hannity Levin. I'm a fan of Megan Kelly
and the work that she does. I really really am.
(05:24):
I was on Dave Ruben's podcast.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Okay, all right. I mean, you know, I've known Chris
Christy for years.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
There's plenty of Republicans and there's plenty of conservative policies
that I.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Don't mind a lot.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I don't like either, though, But here's the deal. I
bring all of that up to say right is right
and wrong is wrong. And I appreciate Mark Levin being
one of those Republicans that doesn't say that Donald Trump
is spreading perfume when he's passing gas.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I appreciate that because somebody gotta do it.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
If you don't have people on the right that, I'm
not willing to say to Donald Trump, Yo, man, you're
going a bit too far. Yo man, I think this
is the wrong way to go. I don't think this
is good for the country. I don't think this is
good for the world. I think you're wrong in this one.
As Mark Levin articulated very eloquently, I might add, if
you don't have anybody on the right that's willing.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
To do that, then we are in trouble. See.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
To me, the issue of Trump being in office is
not the biggest issue.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's him being in the office devoid of checks and balances.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I don't mind him being in his office more than
I mind the Republicans having both the House and the
Senate and he gets to operate with impunity. That's my fear.
But Mark Levin provided everybody hope see, and just to
remind y'all, just as an aside, Republicans are welcome on
(07:06):
the show. If you ain't seen them on, they it's
because they haven't elected to come Byron Donald's been on
the show before. We've put out personal invitations to Marco Rubio,
Ted Cruz, jd Vance, Donald Trump himself. Okay, handed he's
already been on this show. I don't have any problems.
(07:27):
I'm a fair minded individual. I'm an independent I want
both sides expressing themselves to.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
The American people.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I don't have to be an expert, mister James Carvel
to interview somebody and to get their perspective, to let
the American people hear what they have to say, and
then you.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Be the judge.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
But I know this much, I don't need to be
an expert on the war in Ukraine to recognize the
fact that Russia did attack them. You could talk about
the history of the role of the United States played
in it. You know, you could talk about that all
day long. I got my notes on that stuff. We
(08:07):
can get into that another day. In the end, Russia
elected to attack Ukraine. And because Russia elected to do that,
you can't get around that. You can't be talking about
Russia like they're the friendly folds that they didn't instigate
this war. Mark Levin was absolutely right. I was a
(08:36):
fan of his show to begin with, but I appreciated
him even more today because when you take the kind
of stance that he has taken against Donald Trump. It
shows that you're trustworthy. I knew that before and before,
but I know it even more now.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Let's see if the rest follows. Okay, somebody farting passing
gas is farting in passing gas. It's not perfume.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's nice to see somebody on the right willing to
call it like that.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Okay, right is right.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Wrong is wrong Donald Trump and going after Selensky, Nah,
you ain't got any business doing that. You don't want
to give you more money, don't give you more money.
But you ain't got to talk about him like that,
like he's the villain and all of this. That's going
a bit too far.
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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