Stephen A. Smith and ‘The View’ Hosts Clash in Heated Debate Over Military Protocol and Senator Mark Kelly

A spirited and contentious debate unfolded on ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” on Thursday, as sports and political analyst Stephen A. Smith vehemently defended his previous criticisms of Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The show’s co-hosts, particularly Sunny Hostin, directly challenged Smith’s position, leading to a fiery exchange that underscored deep divisions on the topic of military conduct and public messaging.

The segment began with Hostin setting the stage for a direct confrontation. She brought up Smith’s recent on-air tirade aimed at Senator Kelly, a decorated retired U.S. Navy captain and former astronaut. “You recently accused senator Mark Kelly — a veteran, astronaut — of crossing the line for participating in a video reminding troops they can refuse to follow illegal orders,” Hostin stated, before the show played a clip of Smith’s original passionate commentary.

In the video, Smith was seen in a state of high agitation, screaming directly into the camera, “You know better, Senator Kelly! You know better! How dare you do that?” The raw emotion of the clip established the intensity of Smith’s original critique, which served as the catalyst for the ensuing debate on “The View.”

After the clip played, Hostin attempted to counter Smith’s stance by citing a statement from a political figure. She quoted what she identified as a 2016 remark from “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,” stating that there has to be “consequences for abject war crimes.” With this, Hostin presented Smith with an opportunity to walk back his earlier comments. “Now given the fact that the secretary himself said that, I’d love to give you the opportunity to perhaps change your position on what you said,” she offered.

Smith’s response was immediate and unequivocal. “I’m not changing a thing,” he declared, rejecting the premise of Hostin’s offer.

His refusal prompted a sharp retort from Hostin, who replied, “Okay. You want to stay loud and wrong.”

Smith did not back down from the characterization. “You can call it loud and wrong. You’re entitled to your opinion,” he countered, before aggressively dismissing the relevance of Hegseth’s opinion. “I don’t give a damn what Pete Hegseth has to say. He was never qualified for the job,” Smith asserted, questioning Hegseth’s credentials and career path. “What was he doing hosting Fox News on the weekend and all of a sudden he’s the Defense secretary. Please. Give me a break! Let me get that out the way.”

Having brushed aside Hostin’s reference, Smith then elaborated on the foundation of his argument against Senator Kelly. He explained that his perspective was informed by conversations with active and retired military members. “When I was talking about Mark Kelly, it was military. What I did was get on the phone with family and friends who have served in the military and I said, ‘We’re not civilians. This is not the court of law.’”

Smith argued that within the unique culture of the armed forces, a public statement from a former high-ranking officer carries significant weight and can have unintended consequences. “You can be implicated for implying something if you are a former military member or you are a present military member,” he explained. His core issue was not with the literal text of Kelly’s message but its potential interpretation. “It wasn’t what Mark Kelly said. It’s the fact that he was a combat Navy pilot who served in the military who would tell folks, ignore an order when it could get—”

At this point, co-host Joy Behar interjected to clarify the specific context, stating, “Ignore an illegal order.”

Smith acknowledged her point, confirming, “I said illegal. I’m talking about illegal.”

However, Hostin pressed further, challenging Smith’s understanding of military regulations. “He said you don’t have to follow an unlawful order and that is in the military code of conduct,” she insisted. “It didn’t sound like you were aware of that.”

“No, I disagree with you,” Smith fired back, before revealing that the debate extended beyond the television studio. To bolster his point that the issue was not as clear-cut as Hostin suggested, he shared private feedback he had received from elected officials. “I had two governors texted me to tell me I was wrong and agree with you,” he admitted.

Hostin seized on this admission, declaring flatly, “You are wrong.”

But Smith immediately followed up with a countervailing point, revealing a split in political opinion on the matter. “And I had two senators that reached out and said you aren’t wrong at all,” he concluded.

The segment ended without a resolution, leaving the hosts and their guest at a firm impasse. The confrontation highlighted a fundamental clash of perspectives: one rooted in the explicit legal and ethical duty of soldiers to refuse unlawful commands, and another concerned with the nuanced cultural implications and potential for perceived insubordination when such messages are promoted by former military leaders. The heated exchange served as a stark illustration of the complexities involved when matters of military discipline and authority are debated in a public, political forum.