Paul Finebaum Eyes U.S. Senate Run After Charlie Kirk-Inspired ‘Awakening’ Moment
Could he go from Sportscaster to Senator?
Media personality Paul Finebaum is weighing a shift from sports pundit to politician. In an exclusive interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, Finebaum confirmed he is “considering” leaving ESPN to pursue a seat in the U.S. Senate— running as a Republican.
Finebaum said the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk jolted him into reconsidering his life’s direction. “I spent four hours numb talking about things that didn’t matter to me. And it kept building throughout that weekend,” he told Travis. “I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day.”
Though he never met Kirk personally, Finebaum described the tragedy as transformative. “It was an awakening,” he said. “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 admits he never seriously considered a political path — until now. He revealed that “one or two people in Washington” reached out to him shortly after the Kirk incident. “Something I never thought about before,” he said.
He noted initial hesitation, especially given the interest former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl had shown in the Senate seat. But once Pearl stepped back, Finebaum said he took a harder look. “I ended up talking to someone … who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved,” he said. “I started thinking about this.”
Finebaum—who began his media career in Birmingham and later joined ESPN to help launch the SEC Network in 2014—recently moved back to Alabama after living in Charlotte. The move, he said, opens the door wider for a campaign based in the State.
Though he has long avoided public political commentary while at ESPN, Finebaum did not shy away from his new disclosures. He said he recently re-registered as a Republican now that he resides in Alabama, though he previously maintained that registration in North Carolina. “And I was a registered Republican in Alabama before I moved,” he added.
When pressed about his voting record, Finebaum acknowledged he supported Donald Trump in the 2024 election—while noting that ESPN’s policies discouraged such discussion.
Even though Finebaum has not yet committed to a Senate run, he is aware of looming deadlines, both official and practical. “The qualifying deadline is in January,” he said. “I’d love to get to the end of the season. I don’t know if that’s realistic. I would like to make this decision fairly soon, in the next 30 to 45 days.”
Asked whether he could represent Alabama well, he replied: “Absolutely, I believe very strongly in that … I’ve been speaking to Alabamians for 35 years. I feel like I know who they are. I think they know who I am.”
One person, he admitted, could persuade him to commit: former President Trump. When Travis asked, “If the President … says, ‘Paul, you’re my guy,’ can you tell him no?” Finebaum did not hesitate. “Impossible to tell him no. … I would tell him yes,” he said.
As Finebaum weighs turning in his microphone for a Senate campaign, his public profile gives him a launch pad. Whether voters embrace the media figure as a politician remains to be seen — but he clearly believes now may be the moment to make that leap.
Finebaum would certainly enjoy the advantage of high name recognition, but many questions about his viability as a candidate remain. Chief among these is his ability to raise money in an already-crowded race, where even seasoned politicians are struggling to secure the donor support they need. In terms of the issues, Finebaum’s statements to OutKick indicate that he'd join the chorus of “I love Trump the most-est” we’re already hearing. His stance on the issues would almost certainly be similar to the ALGOP platform, with possibly a few surprises.
Paul Finebaum has opened the door, and now will be spending the next few weeks talking to potential donors and supporters. If he decides there’s a reasonable part to success, he could very well throw his hat into the ring.
Could he actually go from Sportscaster to Senator? Stranger things have happened in Alabama politics.
