ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum says he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate in Alabama.
Finebaum, who is a registered Republican, told OutKick Sports chief Clay Travis that the assassination of Charlie Kirk made him rethink his priorities and that he might throw his hat in the ring for the state’s open Senate seat.
The sports broadcaster said that he felt talking about sports after Kirk’s murder made him feel “empty.”
“I spent four hours numb, talking about things that didn’t matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend,” Finebaum explained. “I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day.”
He added that Kirk’s vicious murder was “an awakening” for millions of Americans.
Finebaum noted that members of Alabama’s GOP had spoken to him in the past about jumping into politics, but after Kirk’s death, he “got a little bit more interested” in the calling.
The broadcaster added that once Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced that he was not interested in running for the seat, he had warmed to the idea himself.
“I was… hesitant at first,” he said of considering a run for the seat. But now he is changing his stance. “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,” he said.
“Alabama has always been the place I’ve felt the most welcome, that I’ve cared the most about the people. I’ve spoken to people from Alabama for 35 years and I feel there is a connection that is hard to explain,” added Finebaum, who openly admits had voted for Trump.
He also noted that he has officially moved to Alabama and registered to vote as a Republican in the Yellowhammer State.
Finebaum also blasted the media for its slanted coverage of U.S. politics.
“The biggest issue is the direction of ‘Where are we going [as a country]?’ And I don’t like some of that,” he said. “When I watch a newscast, I know how biased it is because I do this for a living. And that’s incredibly disturbing. But I keep all this to myself. I feel this is a cathartic conversation for me because I’m saying some things that I really did not intend to say when I walked in this room.”
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