@thejasminebrand: Repost from @the.jasmine.brand • ESPN host #StephenASmith stormed off the stage during a NewsNation town hall debate on the ongoing government shutdown. The panel, moderated by #ChrisCuomo, included Republican Rep. Jim Jordan and Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna and Madeleine Dean. Smith expressed frustration over what he perceived as Washington’s disconnect from the struggles of ordinary Americans. He emphasized that many citizens are “p*ssed off” due to economic hardships and the nation’s reported $37 trillion debt. The tipping point for Smith came when an audience member, an air traffic controller, revealed he had to work for #DoorDash to support his family because he wasn’t receiving a paycheck during the shutdown. Smith criticized the government’s priorities and highlighted the disparity between lawmakers’ salaries and the hardships faced by citizens. He concluded his remarks with, “A government #shutdown is going on right now. A man has to work on DoorDash when he’s really an air traffic controller... the only person that don’t have a check coming is him. You know what I’m going to do? I’m go take a break,” before exiting the stage. He returned to the debate shortly after. 🎥: NewsNation ✍🏾: @twilaamoure

The Jasmine Brand

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Thursday 16 October 2025 21:01:13 GMT