Stephen A. Smith: Brady 'Under No Obligation' to Explain Friendship, Support of Trump

On the Thursday edition of “First Take” on ESPN2, co-host Stephen A. Smith reacted to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady walking out on his press conference after being asked questions about his relationship with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump rather than his team’s upcoming game with the Tennessee Titans.

Smith defended Brady, asking why Brady should be “forced or compelled” to answer questions about someone who is his friend. He also said the star quarterback “is under no obligation” to discuss his opinions of Trump’s statements.

“You know, just because we disagree with positions don’t mean that we need to strip ourselves of common sense,” Smith said. “What Donald Trump has said has riled a lot of people. There’s no question about it. Here’s how you respond to that. Don’t vote for him. Don’t have him leading in the polls, plain and simple. But at it pertains to his individual personal relationships with specific individuals, like Tom Brady, why should Tom Brady be forced or compelled to answer any questions about somebody that he considers to be a friend of his?”

He later added, “Tom Brady is under no obligation whatsoever to express his thoughts or opinions about the things that Trump has said. No matter whether he agrees or disagrees. It is entirely possible that he has disagreed with several things that Donald Trump has said but just doesn’t want to publicize that because that is his friend and that’s how it goes down. A lot of people may find that hard to believe. I find it hard that they find it hard to believe because there are plenty of people who express a thought and opinion privately to their friends about their positions without publicizing it.”