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Stephen A. Smith said Americans should support voter ID laws while criticizing left-wing political leaders, including President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, during Wednesday’s “Straight Shooter” broadcast on SiriusXM.
“Let me set the record straight, you have to have real ID,” Smith said. “I have no problem with ID being required to vote. You need ID for everything else.”
“To the left, shut the hell up,” he continued.
Host Stephen A. Smith in conversation with Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, at the SiriusXM Town Hall event at the SiriusXM Studio on Nov. 19, 2025, Washington, DC (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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The comments come as the House of Representatives has already passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a Republican-backed proposal that would require proof of US citizenship to register and vote in federal elections. The Senate is currently debating and providing amendments to this legislation.
Smith pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in how identification requirements are used in everyday life compared to voting, referring to local policies that require multiple forms of ID for common jobs.
“You have a mayor in New York City who needed two IDs to shovel snow,” Smith noted.
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Stephen A. Smith and Sunny Hostin debated on “The View” on Dec. 4, 2025. (ABC)
Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“You’re not in the position to b—— about how you want IDs and the GOP wants IDs to vote. Shut up. Nobody wants to hear that,” Smith said.
Smith also raised concerns about how other voter ID proposals are structured, saying that requiring multiple forms of identification beyond commonly held documents would be excessive.
“When a real ID or a driver’s license or a Social Security card isn’t enough… and if you show up and present your passport, they still want a second form of identification,” Smith noted.
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He cited what he described as small incidents of voter fraud, citing election data from Utah to argue that the issue is often overlooked in political messages.
“They got one illegal vote out of 2 million… you know it’s okay. It’s exaggerated. It’s embellished,” Smith said.
The commentary went beyond the election as Smith spoke about global unrest and its impact on the economy, including rising energy costs coupled with instability in the Middle East.
“And now we have a war in Iran… oil prices are up,” Smith said. “In the state of California, it’s close to $6 a gallon. That’s not just because of this, that’s definitely because of Gavin Newsom and local government.”
The US Capitol in Washington, DC, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Smith also raised concerns about government spending and the national debt, criticizing Washington leaders for high deficits. He then turned his attention to President Donald Trump, questioning previous campaign promises related to foreign policy and economic consequences as conflicts continue abroad.
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“And no matter how bad the Democrats and Republicans are, nobody is currently worse than President Trump,” Smith continued. “I thought you were the boy.”
Smith also challenged claims about tax-driven income and economic benefits.
“Where is the evidence? Where are these billions of dollars that should have flowed into the United States of America?” Smith asked. “When people roll over on Capitol Hill … don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Smith said.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Newsom for comment.
