ESPN host Stephen A. Smith says his daughter, who is about to turn 18, supports New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — and Smith has a plan to change her mind that doesn’t involve a single argument.
Appearing on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast, Smith explained where he thinks the support 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.
His plan is simple: get her a job in New York City and let her see what comes out of her first paycheck.
“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 continued, naming his daughter directly.
“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. Yeah, Nyla, I’m talking about you. I can’t wait because I ain’t having it.”
Smith has made the point before. Shortly after Mamdani’s election victory, he said on his own podcast that “the people who love Mamdani the most are not people who pay bills every day.”
New York City carries the highest combined state and local tax burden in the country. Middle-income residents typically see 30 percent to 35 percent of their paycheck go to taxes and standard payroll deductions, while people earning over $1.5 million can see more than half of each additional dollar taken.
So Smith’s claim that “more than half” of a paycheck could vanish is an exaggeration for most New York workers, though not a wild one given how steep the city’s tax load already is.
