Stephen A. Smith said he accepted an invitation to a White House dinner with Trump, Kid Rock and Bill Maher, which he described as a substantive meeting of over four hours in which Trump answered every question, though he was very defiant toward criticism. Smith used a 36-minute podcast episode to explain his decision, saying his priority is HBCU funding and that he credited Trump for criminal justice reform and HBCU support. He said he pressed Trump on Black unemployment, DEI and HBCU funding, and that Trump said he would 'look into' the issue of private-sector funding. Smith described Trump as having a 'relatively dismissive attitude' toward the economy and inflation, and said Kid Rock's presence would not have stopped him from attending. He argued that talking directly with one another is necessary to resolve these issues.
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