After a prominent 16-year career with ESPN, Sage Steele’s Election Day remarks on the 2024 U.S. presidential election are generating new waves of controversy. Her outspoken stance on social media, coupled with her high-profile departure from ESPN last year, has led to a renewed debate around media figures’ freedom to express personal political beliefs publicly. Steele, a former host of SportsCenter and NBA Countdown, left the network in 2023 following an already turbulent tenure due to previous political comments. Now, her election-related posts have revived questions around her departure and the line between sports commentary and personal politics.
Following the decision of President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race, Vice President Kamala Harris was chosen to lead the Democratic ticket against Republican Donald Trump, who ultimately won the election. Early Wednesday morning, Sage Steele’s Election Day comments began to circulate widely on X (formerly Twitter) after she shared her perspective on why she believed Trump secured the presidency. “This is what happens when you push people to the brink,” Steele posted, adding, “This is what happens when you choose to divide instead of bring together. This is what happens when you try to ruin America. You get an uprising and people saying enough is enough.”
Steele’s post quickly went viral, with her blunt perspective drawing both criticism and praise. While some supporters viewed Sage Steele’s Election Day remarks as courageous, others criticized her for appearing to align her stance too closely with political activism. As one user wrote, “A former sports journalist suddenly spouting divisive rhetoric? Sports journalism is supposed to bring people together, not add to the divide.” This outpouring of mixed reactions echoes the backlash Steele faced in 2021 over her opinions on ESPN’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Appearing on NFL quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast, she had expressed her support for individual choice, stating her opposition to the company’s policy requiring all employees to be vaccinated.
In response to her podcast comments, ESPN suspended Steele and she was temporarily taken off the air. She returned following a public apology but alleged that her career trajectory was altered, as she was gradually excluded from flagship programming. In 2022, she took legal action, filing a lawsuit against ESPN for what she described as retaliation. Her departure came after ESPN settled, awarding Steele $500,000 and covering her legal fees. She left the network last year, expressing her desire to exercise “First Amendment rights more freely,” a sentiment that seems evident in Sage Steele’s Election Day social media statements.
Since posting her views on the election, Steele has only gained more attention, with some in the media questioning whether her role as a sports journalist has now crossed into political punditry. For figures like Steele, whose public profile blurs the line between media professional and personal commentator, the consequences of their statements can be complex. As Steele continues to share her views online, the conversation has turned once again to the responsibilities of media figures in the digital age. While Sage Steele’s Election Day remarks continue to spark debate, her outspoken style and willingness to speak out on hot-button issues might be just as influential as her career in sports broadcasting.
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