ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has apologized for comments he made in which it appeared he was defending Donald Trump comparing himself to the plight of Black Americans.

“I’m fully aware that I’ve been in the news the last few days, paraded all over social media as well, after comments I made on my appearance on Fox News’s Hannity last week, with the one and only Sean Hannity himself,” he said during The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast. “And I’m fully aware of the outcry that has ensued because of it.

“A lot of folks in Black America seem pretty pissed at me right now. From friends and loved ones to colleagues, contemporaries and dare I say even the NAACP itself. Quite a few folks were put off, if not flat out offended after my words were interpreted as associating support for Trump from the Black community with all the legal issues he’s facing. For that, I sincerely apologize.

“To be clear, my words were misconstrued. I’m stating right here, for the record that my words were taken out of context. Misrepresenting and depicting me in a way I found every bit as insulting and disrespectful as folks in Black America evidently felt about what they thought I said. But I’ll own it anyway. Because you know, please know that I know, the buck stops with me.”

In his appearance on Hannity, Smith, who said his words were taken out of context, said Black people find Trump relatable. Here are the comments.

“Dare I say something that might– will probably be termed the most uncomfortable thing that I’ve ever had to articulate out of my mouth from a political perspective.” Smith said on Hannity. “But I gotta tell you something. As much as people may have been abhorred by Donald Trump’s statement weeks ago talking about how Black folks, he’s hearing that Black folks find him relatable because of what he is going through is similar to what Black Americans have gone through, he wasn’t lying! He was telling the truth.

“When you see the law, law enforcement, the court system, and everything else being exercised against him, it is something that Black folks throughout this nation can relate to with some of our historic, iconic figures. We’ve seen that happen throughout society.

“So, no matter what race, what ethnicity you may emanate from, we relate to you when you’re suffering like that, cause we know we have. And that’s what he articulated. As unpopular as it was, as much as we didn’t like to hear it, it’s the truth. And there’s no way around it. Those are all contributing factors to the state of affairs with the slippage that appears to be taking fold when it comes to President Biden, unfortunately.”

In February, Trump was speaking at the Black Conservative Federation Gala in Columbia, South Carolina: “Hundreds of proud Black conservative American patriots.”

Per ABC News:

“I got indicted a second time and a third time and a fourth time and a lot of people said that that’s why the Black people like me because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against. And they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against. It’s been pretty amazing,” Trump said to applause.

He continued, asserting that Black people are starting to turn to him because “what’s happening to me, happens to them,” centering his appeal to Black voters by equating his criminal prosecutions to the historic discrimination Black Americans have faced.

“I think that’s why the Black people are so much on my side now because they see what’s happening to me happens to them. Does that make sense?”