Stephen A. Smith went after Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen on Wednesday, blasting him for saying he regretted confirming Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. The ESPN host called the comments “absurd” and strongly defended Rubio’s qualifications.
Van Hollen had accused Rubio of ignoring due process in the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected MS-13 gang member with a history of violent abuse. Smith wasn’t having it. “We have to understand that Marco Rubio is officially one of the most powerful people in America,” he said on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
Smith listed Rubio’s résumé — longtime senator, former presidential candidate, reelected in Florida — and questioned how anyone could say he’s unqualified. “He’s not unqualified. He’s not incoherent. He’s not inarticulate,” Smith said. “He certainly isn’t oblivious to an understanding of policies that affect the United States of America.”
Smith said Democrats like Van Hollen were missing the bigger picture. He blamed the party’s election losses on misplaced priorities. “Their administration won! The Democrats lost because you were focused on things not like this!”
Garcia, the illegal immigrant at the center of the dispute, had a long rap sheet. First flagged in 2019 for wearing MS-13 gear, the DOJ said he was confirmed as a gang member that same year. Immigration officials upheld the ruling.
In 2021, Garcia’s wife accused him of brutal domestic violence — hitting her, tearing her clothes, and smashing her laptop. In 2022, he was caught transporting eight undocumented immigrants in a vehicle tied to a convicted smuggler.
Smith’s final word? He didn’t buy Van Hollen’s outrage. And he wasn’t about to let Democrats rewrite the narrative after losing ground politically.