NewsNation had a town hall event in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening, and Stephen A. Smith saw enough.
During the event, Smith grew angry at the reactions from members of Congress about the government shutdown and how it is affecting everyday Americans. He ultimately got up and walked off.
After a member of the audience asked a question, noting that they would need to leave to go work as a DoorDash delivery driver because their position as an air traffic controller was currently paused, the politicians had a carefree approach, from Smith’s standpoint.
That led him to ultimately storm off the NewsNation stage.
“I don’t think Washington understands how ticked off we truly are,” said Smith. “A young man walked up to the microphone and said that he had to leave here to go and work on DoorDash to help pay for his daughter’s tuition. Meanwhile, everybody up here getting paid, but he ain’t. It’s this kind of stuff right here. That’s how you know.”
Smith continued by noting the national debt has risen to nearly $40 trillion, and average Americans see how much is taken out of the checks in taxes but don’t get any return for what they’re sending to Washington.
“Somehow, some way, you’re supposed to be doing something constructive and productive enough to make sure that we don’t have that kind of deficit. It isn’t happening,” said Smith. “A government shutdown is going on right now. A man has to work on DoorDash when he’s really an air traffic controller that we applaud him.
“We’re up here talking about how much some money is gonna cost, and the only person that don’t have a check coming is him. You know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna take a break,” Smith said, before getting up and exiting the stage.
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