ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith faced intense questioning about his regret over voting for Kamala Harris during a podcast episode released on Wednesday. Hosts Cari Champion and Jemele Hill expressed concerns that Smith’s comments may have targeted Black women.

The “Flagrant and Funny” hosts zeroed in on Smith’s regret in supporting Harris for the 2024 election. Smith suggested the intention was to install Harris as a replacement for Joe Biden in the race. His remarks were based on Harris’s appearance on ABC’s ‘The View’ in October 2024, where she expressed she wouldn’t do anything differently than Biden.

Smith described the moment when Sunny Hostin presented a question to Harris, calling it an opportunity Harris missed. Smith highlighted Harris’s credentials, noting her previous roles as state attorney general, senator, and vice president. He argued her loyalty to Biden was the reason she avoided criticism.

“Her loyalty to Joe Biden usurped everything else.”

He questioned her political motives, expressing concern about whether she truly aimed for the presidency. Hill suggested Harris wanted to emphasize Biden’s achievements, acknowledging his past accomplishments.

Champion pressed on the necessity of Smith stating regret, arguing it overshadowed Harris’s efforts. Smith admitted he supported Harris throughout the election, emphasizing his post-election candidness.

Smith faced accusations from Champion that he unfairly targeted Black women. She suggested his point could have been made without expressing regret. Smith countered diplomatically:

“Can you concede that it’s a disagreement as opposed to a disparagement?”

The conversation shifted to Smith’s conflict with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. Crockett criticized America’s treatment of Black women during a July 4th weekend statement. Harris’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

Curtis Houck, managing editor at Media Research Center’s NewsBusters.org, applauded Smith’s honesty. Houck argued that more media figures should openly express regret or admit mistakes, stressing the importance of ideological diversity.

An April interview with Sage Steele revisited Smith’s regret. Smith initially backed Harris, expecting her to promote bipartisan cooperation. However, he felt Democrats had failed to comprehend their electoral losses.

“I believed she could work across the aisle, but I realized there was no hope.”

Smith expressed regret during a January 2025 interview with Bill Maher, citing disappointment over Democrats’ failure to secure their nomination. Smith remarked that many supporters felt deceived.

Fox News’ CJ Womack contributed to this report, and Hanna Panreck serves as an associate editor at Fox News.