It’s another day in clown world, and once again, left-wing activists are lining up to defend someone who was literally caught red-handed. The latest subject of progressive tears is Karmelo Anthony, who was recently handed a 35-year prison sentence in Texas after a jury decided that stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf to death at a high school track meet was, in fact, murder. But despite the mountains of evidence, the activist grift machine is running at full steam, trying to convince the public that the real victim here is the guy who did the stabbing.

Enter Stephen A. Smith. The "Straight Shooter" podcast host decided he’d had enough of the nonsense and dropped a massive dose of reality on his listeners. Smith didn’t mince words, declaring flatly, "Karmelo Anthony murdered Austin Metcalf. There is no other way to slice it." In his episode titled "We're Fighting the Wrong Battle!", Smith called out the absolute state of modern activism, asking why people are spending their valuable energy trying to bail out a convicted killer whose self-defense excuse didn't hold a single drop of water with a jury.

The state’s evidence against Anthony was about as clear as it gets. Prosecutors showed off the actual murder weapon—a folding pocketknife with a dark blade and gray handle—and threw up photos of Anthony in the back of a police cruiser with his hand literally covered in blood. It was so brutal that Austin’s dad, Jeff Metcalf, was left completely haunted by the visuals shown in court. Yet, local activist Dominique Alexander, the founder of the Next Generation Action Network, decided this was the perfect hill to die on, launching a social media campaign called "Stand with the Anthony Family" to combat "misinformation." You truly cannot make this stuff up.

To make matters even more ridiculous, a group of pro bono civil rights attorneys has hopped on the appeal train. Horace Cooper, co-chair of Project 21, pointed out the obvious: trying to inject racial friction into a slam-dunk murder case is a terrible look. Cooper noted that these appeal lawyers are going to have a rough time anyway, considering appellate courts actually focus on the law, not letting you re-do your failed self-defense arguments because you didn't like how the first trial went.

Smith also highlighted the hilarious double standard of these activist groups. While they are out here fighting "vigilantly" and "diligently" for a guy who brought a knife to a high school track meet, they are completely silent on the actual war zones in our streets. Smith pointed directly to a massive weekend shooting spike in Chicago, asking why these activists aren’t protesting the literal carnage happening there. The answer, of course, is that actual community safety doesn't get you clout on social media.

The backlash is already hitting the Anthony defense squad hard. At least one supporter reportedly got themselves fired after making brain-dead comments defending the verdict, and others are getting absolutely roasted online. It turns out normal people don't particularly enjoy watching activists turn a convicted murderer into a martyr while the victim's family is left to pick up the pieces.

At the end of the day, the jury looked at the knife, looked at the blood, and decided 35 years behind bars was the correct outcome. No amount of pro bono lawyering or social media posting is going to change the fact that a 17-year-old kid is gone. Smith's podcast rant is a reminder that sometimes, you just have to call a spade a spade: Anthony committed the crime, he's doing the time, and the activists need to take the L and go home.

Sources: * State of Texas v. Karmelo Anthony, Collin County Courts Record of Conviction * Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Offender Search * Texas Penal Code, Title 2, Chapter 9: Justification Excluding Criminal Responsibility