Stephen A. Smith

came in thinking that one thing was happening and then read factcheck.com and left thinking another thing was happening. I don't really see a lot of that. I do think this is a real obvious case where there's a factual dispute. It is, in fact, this journalist's job to resolve it and say what is true and for people who are looking for it to read the true thing.

came in thinking that one thing was happening and then read factcheck.com and left thinking another thing was happening. I don't really see a lot of that. I do think this is a real obvious case where there's a factual dispute. It is, in fact, this journalist's job to resolve it and say what is true and for people who are looking for it to read the true thing.

A lot of things that got fact-checked were sometimes a little hazier, were sometimes more political disputes. Is immigration good for the economy? That's not really a fact-checkable claim. That's an argument among economists.

A lot of things that got fact-checked were sometimes a little hazier, were sometimes more political disputes. Is immigration good for the economy? That's not really a fact-checkable claim. That's an argument among economists.

Yeah, I mean that was – I mean even – that's been a problem even in my days in government. Like I would rage at my desk at the Washington Post fact checker for taking a sort of a statement of values or a statement of principle and then assigning some of their Pinocchios to it because you could find – like you could nitpick it in a way.

Yeah, I mean that was – I mean even – that's been a problem even in my days in government. Like I would rage at my desk at the Washington Post fact checker for taking a sort of a statement of values or a statement of principle and then assigning some of their Pinocchios to it because you could find – like you could nitpick it in a way.

Yeah, it's the most pedantic imaginable approach to politics. And I think sometimes – kind of annoyed people and backfired in that way. But I think the broader question of, I mean, I, you know, there is, I mean, this is honestly often true with the first wave of people who come into government that like, they believe some things that are just not true about reality and about how government works.

Yeah, it's the most pedantic imaginable approach to politics. And I think sometimes – kind of annoyed people and backfired in that way. But I think the broader question of, I mean, I, you know, there is, I mean, this is honestly often true with the first wave of people who come into government that like, they believe some things that are just not true about reality and about how government works.

And they come in with some things that they've said on the campaign trail about, I mean, I think you saw this in the Biden administration with the Saudis, frankly. Like, they had some views on Saudi Arabia that did not survive contact with reality and wound up being the Saudis' best friends. Just to kind of, like, think about one.

And they come in with some things that they've said on the campaign trail about, I mean, I think you saw this in the Biden administration with the Saudis, frankly. Like, they had some views on Saudi Arabia that did not survive contact with reality and wound up being the Saudis' best friends. Just to kind of, like, think about one.

But, like... Yeah, I mean, that's a slightly... To me, that's a slightly different one. But, for instance, I wrote about this guy named Darren Beatty who's going to be in the State Department. And it has some views on how, like... they were trying to orchestrate color revolutions like Eastern European style.

But, like... Yeah, I mean, that's a slightly... To me, that's a slightly different one. But, for instance, I wrote about this guy named Darren Beatty who's going to be in the State Department. And it has some views on how, like... they were trying to orchestrate color revolutions like Eastern European style.

The people who had orchestrated the color revolutions in Eastern Europe had come back here and were trying to orchestrate against Trump. At some level, that's a factual claim. Do we think that happened? And I do think that I'm sort of more interested in some ways in people who

The people who had orchestrated the color revolutions in Eastern Europe had come back here and were trying to orchestrate against Trump. At some level, that's a factual claim. Do we think that happened? And I do think that I'm sort of more interested in some ways in people who

are, like, arriving with Trump with a set of beliefs that may or may not, like, because I think the one thing that people underestimate is a lot of the people who are saying things, they believe the things they're saying. Some of it is nonsense. Bannon, I think, often will just, like, spin yarns whose details are not all true and doesn't believe all of them.

are, like, arriving with Trump with a set of beliefs that may or may not, like, because I think the one thing that people underestimate is a lot of the people who are saying things, they believe the things they're saying. Some of it is nonsense. Bannon, I think, often will just, like, spin yarns whose details are not all true and doesn't believe all of them.

But a lot of these folks, like, believe what they're saying. Like, I think RFK mostly believes the things he says about vaccines.

But a lot of these folks, like, believe what they're saying. Like, I think RFK mostly believes the things he says about vaccines.

I mean, I guess on a day-to-day basis, as you cover politics or government or whatever, everything in the world you're covering, like what do you, like, what is your, what did like, what do you say to your reports is your task?

I mean, I guess on a day-to-day basis, as you cover politics or government or whatever, everything in the world you're covering, like what do you, like, what is your, what did like, what do you say to your reports is your task?