Clay Travis, a sports commentator who recently made headlines with a controversial CNN appearance, said Tuesday that he is considering a run for Sen. Bob Corker's (R., Tenn.) Senate seat.
Travis announced on his radio program that he had been "toying with the idea," the Independent Journal Review reports. Travis noted Corker had been weighing the possibility of retirement in 2018.
"I think I could win," Travis said, further insisting that he would have "100 percent name recognition" at a University of Tennessee tailgate.
"[I] think if you walked around with a camera, I would make the Democrats and the Republicans both incredibly nervous. They would kill to have the recognition in the state," he said.
Travis made headlines last week for an appearance on CNN during which he told host Brooke Baldwin that, "I believe only in two things completely: the First Amendment and boobs." The comment was derided as sexist and condemned by many, especially on the left.
Travis didn't seem to think his controversial statement would limit his possible Senate run, but was worried his radio show, "Outkick the Coverage" on Fox Sports Radio, might run afoul of FEC "equal time" regulations. The rules limit candidates' use of radio and television.
"I don't want to give up the radio show, but there's some kind of weird rule that if you run for political office, you’re not allowed to continue to be on, like, the airwaves," Travis said.
"It’s kind of an antiquated rule," he said. "The idea was they didn’t want a guy buying up all the television networks and radio networks and then, kind of, you know, end democracy because all of the sudden the only guy’s voice you could hear would be that person."
Nevertheless, Travis insisted he could definitely handle being a senator and a radio host at the same time. After all, he wouldn't want to take a pay cut.
"The downside in being a senator is I’d have to take a major pay cut," Travis said. "So I would need to be able to continue to do the jobs that I do now. Is that possible? Can I do everything I do now and be a senator? I think so. I think I can do that."