Stephen A.’s GOP Advice, Met Gala Protests + Kid Cudi Removes M.I.A. | Essential ELR 5.5.26

Key Moments: (00:00:00) Show Kickoff: Rosenberg’s ESPN/WWE "Car Wash" (00:01:10) Stephen A. Smith’s GOP Voting Strategy (00:04:00) Butler PA Widow: Conspiracies vs. "Joe Biden’s Operation" (00:07:20) Debating Community "Tangibles" + Monolithic Voting (00:11:55) Trump’s Gas Tips: Driving Downhill + Nighttime Science (00:14:10) The Rundown: Met Gala 2026 Amazon Protests + Fake Urine Bottles (00:15:30) Beyoncé + Blue Ivy’s Rare Red Carpet Interview (00:19:35) Nicki Minaj Met Gala Mystery: Uninvited + Rosenberg Blocked (00:22:35) Kid Cudi Fires M.I.A. from "Rebel Rangers" Tour (00:26:00) M.I.A.’s "Fall of the Empire" + Aluminum Clothing Line (00:28:45) Outro + Merch Announcement Tease Detailed Breakdown: The show opens with Rosenberg calling in from the Disney/ESPN campus, where he’s promoting WWE Backlash alongside Jacob Fatu. Ebro immediately dives into the "clip economy," playing a video of Stephen A. Smith arguing that the Black community should flip their vote to the GOP for one election cycle to gain leverage. Ebro and Rosenberg dismantle this strategy, pointing to the current administration's stance on race-based admissions and the Voting Rights Act. They also revisit the Butler, PA tragedy, reacting to a New York Times interview with the victim's widow who claims to hate conspiracy theories while simultaneously blaming Joe Biden for the incident. In The Feed, the conversation shifts to the fallacy of community "tangibles," with Ebro and Rosenberg debating whether policy should be based on group identity or foundational human rights. They wrap up the political segment by laughing through Donald Trump’s viral tweet offering "tips" to save gas—including only driving downhill and filling up at night. In The Rundown, Laura recaps the 2026 Met Gala drama. While Beyoncé and a towering Blue Ivy stunned on the carpet, the event was overshadowed by activists protesting chair Jeff Bezos with building projections and fake urine bottles representing Amazon's labor conditions. The crew also investigates why Nicki Minaj was absent, leading to the discovery that she has officially blocked Rosenberg on Twitter. Finally, they discuss Kid Cudi’s decision to remove M.I.A. from his tour after her political rants and public endorsement of Donald Trump.  -----------------------------Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/download Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.