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Former T-Mobile CEO Legere considers political run

Former T-Mobile Chief Executive Officer John Legere. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

John Legere, the outspoken former chief executive of wireless phone company T-Mobile, is thinking about running for political office.

Legere made the statement in a series of tweets posted Thursday one day after a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

“I am fuming as I’ve watched the last 24 hours unfold,” Legere wrote on Twitter. “I’m sad, angry and appalled. Many of you feel the same. Hang in there.”

Legere said he was thinking about running for political office because “it’s clear somebody needs to help real Americans find change.”

“I’m not sure I’m capable, but I can’t stand by simply watching this craziness,” he wrote.

It wasn’t clear from his statement which political office Legere was contemplating or if he had taken a substantial step toward becoming a candidate for any position. His statement was met with a mixture of enthusiasm and wonder, largely from a dedicated fanbase of T-Mobile customers who were wooed during Legere’s tenure as chief executive.

Under his watch, Legere positioned T-Mobile as a company that focused on customer satisfaction first. He ordered a return to unlimited wireless data plans at a time when other companies were starting to restrict their offerings (rivals AT&T and Verizon have since installed their plans as well), rolled out tiers of service that included perks like unlimited music streaming and free access to Netflix and eliminated service contracts that kept customers from switching to another service if they were dissatisfied.

Legere resigned as T-Mobile’s chief executive in April 2020 after his contract with the company expired. He was replaced by Mike Sievert, the company’s chief operating officer, who has largely continued the company’s goodwill mission to its customers.

Around the time of his resignation, Legere promised his fans that additional information on his next move would be forthcoming. Prior to his departure, there were rumors that he would assume a leadership role at WeWork, a company that provides shared offices for entrepreneurs and startups. But that rumor was quickly dispelled, and Legere has not accepted a position with any other company since leaving T-Mobile.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys covers the business of broadcast and streaming TV, radio broadcasting, social media, technology and telecommunications. A journalist for over 15 years, Matthew previously worked at Thomson Reuters, KGO-TV in San Francisco, KTXL in Sacramento and McNaughton Newspapers. He received 9 California Journalism Awards between 2018 and 2020, and is a member of IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors).
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