Stephen A. Smith Claims Trump Ran For President To Get Back At NFL For Not Letting Him Buy A Team

Stephen A. Smith claims that Donald Trump’s run for president in 2016 was spawned by a so-called vendetta against the NFL.

While appearing on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast over the weekend, the sports radio host recalled the president-elect phoning him in 2014 to voice his intentions to run for president should the NFL thwart his efforts to buy the Buffalo Bills.

“He called me in 2014. This is a true story,” Smith told Maher during Sunday’s episode. “He says, ‘Stephen A.’ — [he] had a secretary — ‘Mr. Trump is on the line,’ etc. [Trump] gets on the line. He says, ‘Stephen A. I’m trying to buy the Buffalo Bills.’ Price tag was $1.4 billion.”

In 2014, Trump offered to pay $1 billion for the Bills. He contended for the New York team alongside three other finalists who wanted to buy the Bills after their founder and owner, Ralph Wilson, died.

“[Trump] had about $1.1 billion. I was being told he wasn’t going to get the team,” Smith said. “He said, ‘Stephen A., if these motherfuckers get in my way’ — talking about the NFL owners — ‘these motherfuckers get in my way, I’m going to get them all back. I’m going to run for president.’ That’s what he said!”

Maher responded by noting that Trump’s alleged comments to Smith were “completely consistent with what we know about how [Trump] conducts foreign affairs.”

The president-elect ultimately lost the bidding war to current Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, who bought the team in October 2014.

Smith’s claims were seemingly validated back in February 2016, when Trump, a New York native, reportedly told The Associated Press that had he acquired the Bills, he probably wouldn’t have run for president.

“If I bought that team, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing,” Trump said at the time.

Earlier this month, Trump won the 2024 presidential election after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, marking his return to the White House after previously serving as the 45th president of the United States.

Watch Smith’s interview on “Club Random” below.