A decade ago, Donald Trump took that infamous escalator ride that changed American politics forever, but according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the real reason behind Trump’s presidential ambitions might have been something far more personal: getting shut out of NFL ownership.

Smith claimed on Front Office Sports that Trump’s political trajectory was forged not in boardrooms or campaign headquarters, but in the bitter aftermath of a failed billion-dollar sports deal.

Smith’s story begins in 2014 when Trump set his sights on purchasing the Buffalo Bills following the death of owner Ralph Wilson. Smith recalls receiving a direct phone call from Trump during the bidding process, where the future president laid out his intentions with characteristic bluntness.

According to NBC News, Trump de

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