As speculation mounts over Paul Finebaum's potential run for U.S. Senate, so does concern that his murky politics might not be a good fit for conservative voters in Alabama.
Finebaum has publicly discussed his interest in running to fill the soon-to-be-vacant seat of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), but he has yet to make any formal announcement.
A recent Fox News report raised questions about his political leanings, which, though largely unknown, could give Republican voters pause.
The report cited various past quotes Finebaum made that could shed light on his political philosophy, like in 2016, when he apologized after stating that "this country is not oppressing black people," or in 2017, when he said President Donald Trump "does behave like a child."
Finebaum also praised then-Alabama coach Nick Saban in 2020 for encouraging masking and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and leading his team in a Black Lives Matter march.
However, in the same recent interview where he mused about running for Senate, Finebaum did reveal that he voted for Trump and said the murder of Charlie Kirk was what motivated him to consider political office.
Tuberville has spoken highly of Finebaum, calling him a "good guy" and a "good friend," but others aren't convinced he could go the distance in an already crowded election field.
"You can't hate President Trump and Republican voters and win a Republican primary," an unnamed national Republican strategist told Fox News Digital in the report.
"Paul Finebaum trashed President Trump, promoted tyrannical masking during COVID and proclaimed his support for Black Lives Matter," the strategist said. "Finebaum's experience as a sports analyst doesn't translate into analyzing his own political prospects, apparently. This Trump-hating RINO [Republican-in-name-only] has virtually zero chance of winning an Alabama GOP primary."
Currently, nine candidates have declared to run for Tuberville's Senate seat, including U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, former Trump administration official Morgan Murphy, Lineville businessman Rodney Walker and former U.S. Navy Seal Jared Hudson.
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