Stephen A. Smith’s whirlwind tour of seemingly every television show imaginable recently reached CNN, where he sat down with Jake Tapper. During the conversation, Smith weighed in on Donald Trump’s failed 2014 bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills, reminiscing about a time when Trump had a much friendlier relationship with the sports media. However, according to New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, Smith’s claims that Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to acquire the Bills directly inspired his presidential ambitions are unfounded.
“In 2014, Donald Trump wanted to purchase the Buffalo Bills,” said Smith. “The price tag was about $1.4 billion. According to my sources, he had about $1.1 billion. And he called me to talk to me about his desire to own the Buffalo Bills. It’s the last time we ever spoke. And he said to me … He said, talking about the NFL owners, ‘If them MFers get in my way, I’m going to get ’em all back. I’m gonna run for President.”
This version of events contradicts what has been documented by Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen. Cohen asserts that Trump never genuinely intended to run for president; instead, his campaign was about enhancing his brand and increasing his wealth. “Mr. Trump would often say this campaign was going to be the greatest infomercial in political history,” Cohen said in 2019 via The Hill. “He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign for him was always a marketing opportunity.” As Pearlman indicates, the same can be said for Trump’s failed bid to buy the Buffalo Bills.
@jeffpearlmanauthor Stephen A. Smith’s Donald Trump-Buffalo Bills NFL story is pure nonsense. Like, not even slightly true. #stephenasmith #donaldtrump #buffalobills #nfl #usfl #writersoftiktok ♬ original sound – Jeff Pearlman
“First of all, that’s ridiculous. Like, that’s actually a ridiculous story, and I don’t believe him,” Pearlman stated. “I actually think Stephen A. Smith is making up this story. No. 1, ‘According to my source, he had about $1.1 billion.’ For my USFL book (“Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL”), I researched a lot about Trump and football… He didn’t have the financial backing. I don’t know, Stephen A. Smith, I want to ask you this directly — not that he watches this — but why are you protecting your ‘sources’ on how much money he had? So, who told you he had that much money? Because that’s utterly, utterly preposterous. He did not have $1.1 billion at his disposal. Period.”
“Either your source is him, and he’s full of sh*t, which is probably the case,” Pearlman continued. “Or, this is just nonsense. I’m sorry. There was never a realistic chance of Donald Trump buying the Buffalo Bills. He wanted the attention.” Pearlman argues that, based on his extensive research, Trump’s bid was never serious, and Smith’s portrayal is out of touch with reality. At best, Smith may have been misled by his sources; at worst, he’s promoting a narrative lacking credibility. Regardless, Pearlman maintains that Trump’s attempt to acquire the Bills did not set him on the path to the presidency, and this notion is a myth.
