Iconic radio host Paul Finebaum is considering leaving ESPN to run for the US Senate, it has been revealed.
Finebaum, 70, has been at the Worldwide Leader since 2013 hosting his hugely popular eponymous program.
But following the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier this month, Finebaum told OutKick’s Clay Travis that he is weighing up a run for office.
Finebaum specifically cited the murder of the 31-year-old conservative activist as a reason he could jump into politics, namely in Alabama’s Senate race.
‘It’s hard to describe, not being involved in politics, how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country,’ Finebaum said. ‘And it was an awakening,’ he said.
Finebaum also admitted that he felt ’empty’ doing his four-hour daily show in the wake of Kirk’s death.
Paul Finebaum revealed that he could quit ESPN to run for the the Senate in Alabama
Finebaum’s consideration to politics comes after Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10
‘I spent four hours numb talking about things that didn’t matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend,’ he said.
While ESPN personalities are generally discouraged from talking about politics publicly, Finebaum confirmed during the interview that he was a registered Republican and voted for Donald Trump.
And while he’s yet to make a final decision on his future, he admitted it would be tough to tell the President ‘no’ if he was approached by him to run for the Senate seat.
‘Impossible to tell him no. There’s no way I could. I would tell him yes,’ Finebaum said.
Nonetheless, Finebaum revealed that ‘one or two people in Washington’ had reached out to him to broach his interest in running for politics.
‘I ended up talking to someone… who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved. And this person… was compelling and compassionate in the approach to me, and I started thinking about this,’ Finebaum said.
Finebaum admitted that he wouldn’t be able to say no to Donald Trump if approached
Former Auburn men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl previously weighed up a Senate run
The longtime college football commentator, who also appears on ESPN shows such as SportsCenter and First Take, added that he was initially hesitant to get involved in Alabama’s Senate race with now-former Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl weighing up a run.
However, Pearl ultimately decided not to get involved in the race after retiring from his post with the Tigers.
If Finebaum does jump into the Senate race, he will need to make a decision soon.
The qualifying deadline for the race is in January, and he said he would like to make up his mind in the next ’30 to 45 days.’
‘I’d love to get to the end of the [college football] season. I don’t know if that’s realistic,’ he admitted.
There is set to be an open seat due to another sports figure – former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville – entering the race for Governor. Tuberville is currently a Senator in Alabama.
Kirk was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
His death has led to a slew of tributes in the sports world, including from several NFL franchises.
