ESPN's Stephen A. Smith revealed on Trevor Noah's "What Now?" podcast that his daughter, who is about to turn 18, is a fan of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and he has a plan to snap her out of it.
He also knows exactly where the crush comes from.
"You want to come to me socialism? This is where getting back to Mamdani. My daughter loves Mamdani. And I know exactly why, cause she ain't pay a damn bill yet," Smith said.
Noah said he knew Smith was going to say that. Of course he did. Everybody with a working brain stem knew he was going to say that.
In fact, this is a common refrain amongst parents here in New York. Kids are all wide-eyed Democrats until they get their first job. Then they see what is being stolen from them. It's all fun and games, and taking from those who work to give to the less fortunate is right and just, but then you get that first paycheck, and you realize — taxation is theft.
Stephen A. Smith: “My daughter loves Mamdani. And I know exactly why, cause she ain’t pay a damn bill yet... She’s going to have a job. I don’t give a damn if it’s for a month”
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) November 13, 2026
The liberal mind watching this will make him a "terrible father" but that is just reality. If you are…
Smith has a plan to cure his daughter's Mamdani crush. It's a thing of beauty. But if you're a socialist, we urge you to turn away. Because it involves something truly horrific in your worldview ... getting a job.
“Let me tell you, she about to turn 18. And when that happens, fellas, she’s going to have a job. I don’t give a damn if it’s for a month, ’cause I want to see her face when she sees that check. And I’m going to make sure she’s working in New York. I want to see the check,” Smith said.
He wasn't done.
“You know what I’m saying? When you went to work thinking that this is the money that you were earning, and then the check comes home, and more than half your s*** is missing. I want to see what you say then," he added. "Yeah, Nyla, I’m talking about you. I can’t wait because I ain’t having it."
Poor Nyla. She's gone from fever dreams of free bus rides and city-run grocery stores to having to work for a living. When her dad is a multi-millionaire, no less.
Nothing quite kills a love affair with socialism faster than a pay stub.
To be fair, Smith is exaggerating. Not much, but a little bit. Middle-income NYC residents typically see 30 percent to 35 percent of their paycheck go toward taxes and standard payroll deductions. People earning over $1.5 million can see more than half of each additional dollar taken.
Mamdani's budget has ballooned to nearly $130M - with only .3% in savings https://t.co/TVxiIUG8RM https://t.co/3CCcspZ5tC
— New York Post (@nypost) November 12, 2026
That said, the City that Never Sleeps has the highest combined state and local tax burden in the United States.
Maybe that's why nobody can sleep.
Smith has been making this argument for a while. Shortly after Zohran’s election victory, he said on his podcast that "the people who love Mamdani the most are not people who pay bills every day."
Good luck, Nyla. You'll want to sit down before you open that envelope. Even if you still have your Dad's money to fall back on.
Half of a $100 million contract is still pretty solid.
Editor's Note: The Democrat Party has been infected by socialism, and it's spreading FAST. Democrats are claiming there's nothing to worry about, but we know the truth.
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