Stephen A. Smith: Trump Told Me His Run For President Was Revenge For NFL Blocking Purchase of Buffalo Bills

Stephen A. Smith claimed Donald Trump called him in 2014 and expressed his desire to run for president if the NFL got in the way of his effort to buy the Buffalo Bills.

Smith appeared on Sunday’s episode of Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. During their wide-ranging conversation about everything from sports to politics, the two found themselves talking about the president-elect’s character. Both were in agreement that they didn’t consider Trump to be racist despite it being a common criticism from the left.

Then, Smith detailed his own personal experience with Trump, saying:

SMITH: I have never called him a racist. I have never spoken about him that way — ever not one time — because I knew him beforehand. He called me in 2014. This is a true story. He says, “Stephen A” — [he] had a secretary — “Mr. Trump is on the line,” etcetera. [Trump] gets on the line. He says, “Stephen A., I’m trying to buy the Buffalo Bills.” Price tag was $1.4 billion.

MAHER: What year?

SMITH: 2014.

MAHER: OK.

SMITH: 2013, 2014. The price tag was 1.4 billion. He had about $1.1 billion. I was being told he wasn’t gonna get the team. He said, “Stephen A., if these motherfuckers get in my way” — talking about the NFL owners — “these motherfuckers get in my way, I’m gonna get them all back. I’m gonna run for president. That’s what he said!

Although Maher initially laughed at the story, he acknowledged that Trump’s alleged comments were “completely consistent with what we know about how he conducts foreign affairs.”