Journalist Says Donald Trump Ran For President Just to Get a Petty Revenge: "I'm Trying To..."

Former president Donald Trump has secured the White House for a non-consecutive second term by winning the 2024 presidential election. However, it appears as though Trump saw his time in office as a personal quest to increase his marketability. Stephen A. Smith, a sports radio broadcaster, recently recounted the peculiar justification the Republican leader gave in 2014 for wanting to run for president. “...I’m trying to buy the Buffalo Bills. These motherf-ckers get in my way, I’m gonna get them all back. I’m gonna run for president. That’s what he said!" Smith revealed this while appearing on an episode of Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. 

According to Mediaite, the real estate billionaire had roughly $1.1 billion and was in the middle of a bidding war to purchase the professional football franchise, which was anticipated to cost $1.4 billion. Unfortunately, he couldn't crack the deal. However, as per CNN, in 2022, Trump sat down with Maggie Haberman for a detailed interview. When asked why he considered himself for the highest job, the President-elect gave a telling reply, “The question I get asked more than any other question: ‘If you had it to do again, would you have done it?’ The answer is, yeah, I think so. Because here’s the way I look at it. I have so many rich friends and nobody knows who they are.”

It is clear that Trump had been preparing for the White House takeover for decades. In October while appearing for an interview on Bussin With the Boys sports podcast, Trump admitted that he wanted to run for presidency to solve the trade and border issues. On a similar note, NPR reported that in a 1987 interview with veteran talk show host Larry King, Trump echoed the same reason: "I believe it's very important that you have free trade, but we don't have free trade right now."

Trump went on to add that the world was mocking the United States, "Behind our backs, they laugh at us because of our own stupidity. Our leaders — what we have, we have a Persian Gulf situation today. Billions and billions are paid getting oil for Japan, and they are paying nothing for it, essentially they're paying nothing for it." 

In 1988 while appearing on Oprah Winfrey's show, Trump stated that he hadn't completely ruled out on becoming the president. He once again claimed to have been tired of the trade affairs. He added, "I think I'd win. I tell you what, I wouldn't go in to lose. I've never gone in to lose in my life. And if I did decide to do it, I think I would be inclined — I would say, I would have a hell of a chance of winning." 

The real estate mogul continued to talk about his mission in a 1988 interview with David Letterman and a 1990 exclusive with Playboy magazine. When questioned about his approach to dealing with a global crisis, possibly one involving nuclear weapons, Trump responded, "He would believe very strongly in extreme military strength. He wouldn't trust anyone." Well, whatever his reasons may have been, the President-elect is set to take office once again after his swearing-in ceremony in January 2025.