FBI Director Kash Patel Fires Back at Stephen A. Smith for Claiming Trump Was Behind NBA Gambling Arrests — “Single Dumbest Thing I’ve Ever Heard”
FBI Director Kash Patel isn’t holding back after ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith suggested President Donald Trump played a role in the recent arrests tied to the NBA’s illegal betting scandal. The former intelligence official turned federal leader blasted the sports commentator on Fox News, calling the accusation “the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard” and defending the independence of his office amid growing political noise around the investigation.
Appearing on The Ingraham Angle Thursday night, Patel was direct and unflinching. “I’m the FBI Director,” he told host Laura Ingraham. “I decide which arrests to conduct and which not to conduct. To imply that President Trump had anything to do with this case is absurd. It’s irresponsible journalism, and frankly, it’s an embarrassment to ESPN.”
Patel’s comments followed a viral segment from Stephen A. Smith earlier in the week, where the outspoken host theorized that Trump’s influence might have reached into the Justice Department, suggesting political motives behind the takedown of several NBA players, coaches, and agents accused of participating in a multimillion-dollar betting operation. The arrests—spanning multiple states and involving both active and retired figures—have rocked the basketball world, with over 20 individuals charged in connection to fixing point spreads and insider wagers.
According to Patel, the claims made on ESPN were not just false but damaging to the credibility of law enforcement officers who have been investigating the case for years. “The FBI doesn’t take orders from politicians,” Patel said sharply. “This investigation began long before President Trump’s reelection and is being handled by professionals who risk their lives to protect the integrity of American sports and institutions. For Stephen A. Smith to turn it into a political circus is disgraceful.”
In response to Patel’s remarks, Smith appeared on his radio show defending his initial statement but admitted he may have “spoken too broadly.” Still, the ESPN veteran insisted that “questions need to be asked” about why the arrests surfaced now, just weeks after Trump’s campaign announced a new sports ethics initiative.
While Smith’s remarks drew social media attention, they also brought swift backlash from legal analysts and former federal prosecutors, who called his claim reckless. “This is not how the FBI operates,” one former DOJ official told Fox News Digital. “Kash Patel has been transparent, and the evidence presented to the court makes clear this case was years in the making. To politicize it only erodes public trust.”
Patel, who has become a prominent defender of Trump’s post-2024 agenda and is widely viewed as one of the administration’s most disciplined communicators, used the moment to reinforce his message of accountability. “We’re restoring faith in American justice,” he said. “No more political bias, no more selective enforcement — just the law, applied equally to everyone.”
The controversy has sparked intense debate across both political and sports circles. While conservatives praised Patel’s strong response as overdue pushback against what they call “mainstream media hysteria,” critics accused him of overreacting and fueling further division. Still, Patel’s comments have resonated with Trump supporters who view the FBI’s recent high-profile actions as proof of the administration’s commitment to cleaning up corruption across industries, including professional sports.
As the NBA scandal unfolds, with several plea agreements reportedly in progress, the political undertones surrounding the investigation are unlikely to fade soon. But for now, Kash Patel has made it clear he won’t let high-profile pundits rewrite the facts. “People are free to have opinions,” he told Ingraham. “But when you start accusing the President of crimes he didn’t commit — that’s where I draw the line.”
