Lane Kiffin, the newly appointed head coach of the LSU Tigers football program, deleted a social media post on Jan. 24, 2026, that tagged President Donald Trump and featured hats parodying his “Make America Great Again” slogan, following significant backlash.
Kiffin posted the image on Jan. 23 showing LSU-colored (purple and gold) hats with the text “Make Baton Rouge Great” printed on them—a local twist on Trump’s famous MAGA phrase—and directly tagged Trump’s X account (@realDonaldTrump). The post drew nearly 9,000 likes but drew criticism in the comments for injecting politics into college football and potentially harming recruiting efforts among diverse families.
As Trump's ICE Nazis continue their murderous rampage of terror across the US, LSU coach Lane Kiffin thought it'd be a good idea to tag the pedophile führer with a MAGA Nazi-inspired hat. What Black mother and father would want their son to go play for this fucking ignoramus? 👇 pic.twitter.com/A9wO4B0XFz
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) January 24, 2026
Kiffin promptly deleted the original tweet amid the criticism. He reposted the identical photo of the hats later that day with a revised caption: “@LSUfootball #225,” referencing Baton Rouge’s area code and omitting any mention of Trump.
Social media reactions were swift and polarized, with many LSU fans expressing disappointment or anger over the perceived endorsement of Trump:
- One longtime supporter wrote: “20 year LSU fan here and NO LONGER am one after seeing this post. Thank god I went with my gut in not like this hire!”
- Another stated: “Guess I’ve watched my last @LSUfootball game for the foreseeable future. You couldn’t have had the decency to make it until the preseason…”
- Recruiting concerns featured prominently: “I love LSU and this should matter to anyone Black sending their kid to LSU,” and sarcastic remarks like hoping Kiffin wears the hat when visiting Black and brown families’ homes.
- Stronger language included calls of the post being “pathetic,” “disgusting,” or questioning its timing amid broader political debates.
Some users took a lighter view, with comments such as “Lane is working on bringing more national attention to the team, let him cook” or “This makes me actually like you” more, framing it as typical Kiffin trolling or publicity.
Kiffin, who took over at LSU in late 2025 after stints at Ole Miss and elsewhere, has been noted for his high-profile social media activity and success in the transfer portal, landing the No. 1 class with multiple five-star additions. The episode underscores ongoing tensions around coaches’ personal expressions in an era of heightened scrutiny over politics in sports and its impact on programs’ appeal to recruits and fans.
