Popular ESPN analyst storms off after telling members of Congress why Americans are

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith walked off stage at a town hall after ranting to members of Congress as to why Americans are “ticked off” with Washington.

NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo hosted a two-hour live event at the Kennedy Center late Wednesday, featuring officials from President Donald Trump’s administration, lawmakers and political commentators to debate the government shutdown, immigration enforcement and other top issues.

While on stage with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio,) Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Smith went on to say that he doesn’t believe Washington understands how frustrated Americans are, as he pointed to health care, Argentina’s recent $20 billion bailout from the United States and a “retribution tour” from Trump against his perceived political enemies.

“We’re listening to this kind of stuff while a young man walked up to the microphone and said that he had to leave here to go and work on DoorDash to help pay for his daughter’s tuition,” Smith said. “Meanwhile, everybody up here getting paid, but he ain’t. It’s this kind of stuff, right here, that’s how you know — and I’m not accusing any of you directly or personally of feeling this way. I’m just talking about the apparatus that is Washington, the nation’s capital.”

Smith was referring to Jack Criss Jr., an air traffic controller and audience member who expressed concerns about how long the government shutdown will stretch.

“This is not a game,” Khanna responded to Criss. “It’s not. There are people like you who aren’t going to get paid.”

Smith said the experience of Criss should serve as an example as to why Americans are “so pissed off.”

“Because somehow, some way, you get to have these conversations. Engage in specific elements of it to talk about what we need to do to get things better,” Smith said.

Becoming visibly upset, Smith added: “Our debt is $37.8 trillion. Somehow, some way, the taxpayer has been paying this, been throwing money, because we all look at our check and it’s been going to the government, somehow, some way, you’re supposed to be doing something constructive and productive enough to make sure that we don’t have that kind of deficit. It isn’t happening.”

He then announced that he was “going to take a break” as he stood up from his chair and left.

“A man has to work on DoorDash when he’s really an air traffic controller that we applauded, and we’re up here talking about how much some money is going to cost, and the only person that don’t have a check coming is him,” Smith said.

Smith, who previously flirted with the idea of a 2028 presidential run, returned to the stage a few minutes later and rejoined the panel. Cuomo had joked that he wanted to “sit down anyway.”