SEC Network host Paul Finebaum told OutKick's Clay Travis that he had an opportunity to interview President Donald Trump in 2019, but ESPN "killed" it.

Finebaum recounted the story, saying that prior to the LSU-Alabama game on Nov. 9, 2019 – which featured the No. 1 undefeated Tigers going to Tuscaloosa to face the No. 2 undefeated Crimson Tide – the SEC Network wanted to do something "big." 

Finebaum reached out to a friend in Washington, D.C., who asked if the host might be interested in having President Trump on his show. It would require Finebaum to travel from New York to Washington to conduct the interview at the White House, which Finebaum agreed to do. But that's when he let ESPN in on the plan. 

"I called my boss, and they killed it," he said. "I was devastated. They told me that we were not allowed to mix politics with sports." 

Paul Finebaum says ESPN stopped his planned White House interview with President Trump before the 2019 LSU-Alabama game, citing a no-politics policy. 

(Imagn Images)

Of course, ESPN has had a longstanding policy about discussing politics. However, OutKick has documented the myriad cases where left-wing commentators have had free rein to discuss their political views, both on ESPN airwaves and on other platforms, while punishing conservative pundits for the same thing. 

In fact, each year during Barack Obama's presidency, ESPN sent Andy Katz to the White House to have the president fill out a March Madness bracket for the NCAA Tournament. There didn't seem to be an issue mixing politics and sports during that time. 

"It was a turning point for me," Finebaum said of ESPN's decision to deny him the opportunity to interview the president. "It was just about the idea of going to the White House to interview the President of the United States. It wasn't about politics; it was about the game that he was going to attend, the biggest game of the year in college football. I never exactly knew where the kill button came from, but it didn't happen." 

Finebaum Votes For TrumpESPN Blocks Trump Interview V2

Travis pointed out the ridiculousness of ESPN telling Finebaum he couldn't interview the President of the United States prior to one of the biggest sporting events of the year, especially given the president planned to attend the game. 

"If Barack Obama were going to the biggest game in the SEC, and the face of the SEC had an opportunity to interview Barack Obama, how do you say no to that? Or Donald Trump, or Hillary Clinton, whoever the president happened to be… To me, if they're going to the game, you say yes," Travis said. 

"I might have said no to Joe Biden," Finebaum quipped with a laugh. "I'm not sure I could have gotten through that interview." 

Speaking of Biden, he appeared on SportsCenter two years after Finebaum alleges ESPN killed his Trump interview to talk about COVID vaccines, masks, Georgia voting laws and the MLB All-Star Game. While Finebaum maintains that his interview with Trump wasn't political – he planned to talk to the president about college football – Biden appeared on ESPN to openly talk about politics. 

In addition, former SportsCenter host Sage Steele later claimed that the entire interview was "scripted" by ESPN executives. 

OutKick reached out to ESPN for comment on Finebaum's remarks and why they allegedly killed an interview with Trump, but allowed an interview with Biden and yearly appearances by Obama. They declined to comment. 

It's interesting to hear Finebaum, one of the stars at ESPN, speaking so openly about Republican politics. As OutKick reported earlier, the SEC Network host also told Travis that he's "considering" a run for U.S. Senate in Alabama. Finebaum divulged that he's a registered Republican and voted for Trump in the 2024 election. 

Whether he pursues a career in politics, Finebaum has clearly drawn a line with ESPN. Their history suggests that his comments – coming from a more right-of-center point of view – won't be tolerated by the network. Take a look at what happened to Sage Steele and Sam Ponder, among many others. 

Yet the company has repeatedly permitted outwardly left-wing politics from several current on-air commentators, such as Elle Duncan, Mark Jones, Mina Kimes, Ryan Clark and others. 

Therein lies ESPN’s problem: a clear double standard. Viewers are tired of it, and Finebaum’s account suggests people inside Bristol are, too. If one president gets a platform and another gets a veto, that is not policy, it is preference.