Stephen A Smith Abruptly Exits Stage During Town Hall Event

SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith walked off stage Wednesday evening during a NewsNation town hall after blasting lawmakers for not understanding how “pissed off” Americans are at the lack of productivity coming from Washington, D.C.

The event, hosted by NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo, featured Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna and Democrat Pennsylvania Rep. Madeleine Dean debating and hearing from the audience. During the event, former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly was seen sparring with lawmakers over healthcare when Cuomo turned to Smith and asked if he wanted to weigh in.

“I just want to say it is trying to be very respectful to everybody because they deserve it. Let me say that because you deserve it. But let me say this,” Smith said. “I don’t think Washington understands how ticked off we truly are. Think about the conversation that we’re having right now. You brought up the single payer system, emulating Canada. We’re looking at a president that just gave 20 billion to Argentina. We’re hearing about us witnessing what I consider to be a retribution tour. Even though to some degree, I don’t blame him because of how people went after him.”

“Still, it appears to be counterproductive. 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,” Smith added as the audience cheered. “And I’m not accusing any of you directly or personally of feelings where I’m just talking about the apparatus that is Washington, the nation’s capital. This is why you have so many Americans … so pissed off at Washington because somehow some way you get to have these conversations [and] engage in specific elements of it to talk about what we need to do to get things better.”

With the government shutdown nearing its third week, reports suggest federal employees are struggling to make ends meet as Democrats continue voting down a bipartisan effort to reopen the government. (RELATED: Stephen A. Smith Has Some Tough Love For Jasmine Crockett)

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According to CNBC, U.S. air traffic controllers have only received partial paychecks since the shutdown began Oct. 1, with their union warning they could miss their next paycheck entirely if it lasts another two weeks.

Smith went on to blast government waste and rising debt, pointing out an audience member — an air traffic controller — who said he’s been forced to earn extra money through DoorDash during the shutdown.

“Our debt is 37.8 trillion. Somehow, some way, the taxpayers [have] been paying this, been throwing money, because we all look at our check, and it’s been going to the government,” Smith said. “And 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.”

“A government shutdown is going on right now. 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 doesn’t have a check coming is him. You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to take a break,” Smith said as he walked off.

Cuomo joked that he wanted to “sit down anyway” before moving on to an audience question. Smith later returned to the stage and rejoined the panel.

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