Stephen A. Smith has made a career out of shouting confidently about things he only half understands, but on his show Straight Shooter, he finally did it: he delivered a take so uninformed it could have come from Fox News. With all the conviction of a man yelling at a ref through a TV that can’t hear him, Smith lectured his audience:
“Keep in mind that the Epstein files were in existence and free to have been open during the Biden administration… You had four years, how come you didn’t open it as a Democratic party? What am I missing?”
Stephen, I’m glad you asked. Let’s slowly walk through what you’re missing, so it lands this time.
What to Know…
Stephen A. Smith’s claim that Biden could have unsealed the Epstein files is legally wrong, as only a judge, not a president or Congress, can unseal criminal evidence during an active investigation.
Trump, not Biden, was the one who campaigned on releasing the Epstein files, yet he never fulfilled his promise despite having full authority over his own DOJ.
Smith’s argument isn’t real analysis but political pandering, aimed at audiences who won’t respect him and who use figures like him to deflect blame from Trump’s failures.
Presidents Can’t Ask for Criminal Evidence Like it’s a McDonald’s Big Mac
Contrary to whatever civics education Smith received from Twitter, the President of the United States cannot stroll into the Department of Justice, snap his fingers, and demand sealed criminal evidence. That’s not how it works. That’s not how it has ever worked. Even Congress can’t do it.
And yes, that includes Trump.
So when Stephen pretends Biden could’ve just cracked open the Epstein vault like a beer on a hot day, he’s not just wrong, he’s embarrassing himself without realizing it.
Only a Judge Can Unseal Evidence, And No Judge Does That During an Active Investigation
Smith also conveniently forgets, or never knew, that only a judge can authorize the unsealing of evidence. Not Trump. Not Biden. Not Congress. Not even the Democratic Party, whatever that means in this context.
This is why Trump suddenly flip-flopped and pretended he was pro-transparency. Someone whispered in his ear that Congress could vote to request the release, but they still can’t unseal evidence. And like clockwork, a brand-new criminal investigation into Epstein-related conduct opened. Funny how that happens every time unsealing becomes politically inconvenient.
Biden Never Promised to Release the Files. Trump Did, Loudly.
The most basic fact Stephen A. Smith misses is the one he should’ve led with, which is that Biden didn’t run on releasing the Epstein files. Trump did.
Trump bragged about it, campaigned on it, used it as a cudgel, and built his entire persona around “draining the swamp”, yet somehow, during his first term and into his second term, the files stayed sealed. Why? Because Trump kind of knows how the DOJ works(maybe), but he bullies it anyway when he wants political outcomes. That’s why he stacked it with loyalists instead of qualified officials.
And let’s be brutally honest: If those files were filled exclusively with Democrats, Trump would have leaked them to Fox News before the ink dried.
Stephen A. Smith Isn’t Doing Analysis, He’s Doing PR for People Who Don’t Respect Him
Smith isn’t connecting dots; instead, he’s simply performing for an audience that will never accept him. If conservative media will throw Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of their own, under the bus the second she stops being useful, what do you think they’ll do to Stephen A. Smith?
They won’t just toss him, they’d launch him off the Empire State Building, that is if they weren’t so afraid of going to New York City.
What’s Stephen Missing? Everything.
Smith blames Democrats for Trump’s broken promise, and that isn’t analysis. That’s boot-licking deflection disguised as commentary. It’s the political version of rage-baiting Dallas Cowboys fans; it requires zero thought and plenty of volume.
But here’s the thing: in politics, yelling louder doesn’t make you right.
In this arena, facts matter.
Stephen A. Smith is out of his depth. And no amount of dramatic pauses or clenched-jaw theatrics will change that.