Stephen A. Smith alleges "hypocrisy" in Jimmy Kimmel's suspension outrage vs. Tucker Carlson's Fox firing

Stephen A. Smith aimed at what he calls selective outrage. He said that public reaction to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension stands in contrast to the silence surrounding Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News in 2023.

The ESPN host posted a video on his YouTube channel on Thursday to highlight what he views as partisan inconsistency in how media controversies are judged.

"Did we say that when Tucker Carlson was pulled off the air by Fox News? Did we say that? Or would we say that if Gutfeld! was pulled off the air by Fox News?" Stephen A. Smith said. (Time Stamp: 6:40)

"Were we as outspoken then as we were over the last few days? This is why I call myself an independent. This is why I call myself a centrist. Because what I want to do is I want to be able to look at you based on the facts and say you're right or you're wrong and that's it.

"But when you're able to point to the other side doing the same damn thing preceding you by the way and what you're doing, then it becomes a bit more alarming because the word hypocrisy comes into play."

Kimmel returned to the air on Friday after Nexstar and Sinclair, two of the largest local station owners, reversed their suspension decision. Meanwhile, Carlson has since aligned with Turning Point USA and is scheduled to headline events on its campus tour.

Carlson’s removal in April 2023 ended his primetime show without explanation, despite his on-air sign-off that he would return the following week.

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Stephen A. Smith addresses Molly Qerim's departure

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Stephen A. Smith has also been candid about workplace changes at ESPN, recently responding to Molly Qerim’s abrupt decision to step down from First Take.

On Sept. 17's episode of his SiriusXM program, Smith said Qerim’s exit was difficult to process but declined to provide details.

"To say that I'm quite sad about it is an understatement," Smith said

"The details, quite frankly, are none of y'all business. It's not as if I know all the details. It was a contract negotiation that was going on. ESPN certainly did not want to lose her."

His handling of the subject drew scrutiny from former ESPN analyst Emmanuel Acho, who argued that Smith’s comments gave mixed signals about what he knew.

Qerim, who announced her decision on Instagram on Sept. 16, confirmed that she turned down a new contract and will leave by year’s end. ESPN executive Burke Magnus praised her contributions, calling her “an integral part" of First Take’s success.

Stephen A. Smith also weighed in on recent political flashpoints, including President Donald Trump’s response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk’s death prompted Turning Point USA to briefly halt events before resuming its tour, which now features Carlson as a keynote speaker.

Kimmel, for his part, was suspended after suggesting the suspected gunman had ties to Trump’s political movement.