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Lane Kiffin’s recent Trump-tagged LSU hat controversy exploded across sports and political media after the head coach shared and deleted a photo featuring LSU baseball caps labeled with President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan. The post quickly went viral, triggering backlash from college football fans. As screenshots circulated on X (formerly Twitter), the debate intensified over whether Kiffin was trolling rivals or making a political statement. Here’s a recap of what went down.

Lane Kiffin posted a photo of LSU baseball caps using the MAGA slogan on Jan. 23, 2026

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Lane Kiffin has long been one of college football’s most polarizing figures. Early in his career, Kiffin became the youngest head coach in NFL history with the Oakland Raiders. However, he was fired amid disputes with owner Al Davis and public criticism of his leadership. His subsequent moves contributed to a reputation for abrupt exits and strained relationships.

While at Tennessee, he was publicly reprimanded for commenting on NCAA recruiting rules, illustrating a pattern of confrontational behavior with rivals. More recently, his contentious departure from Ole Miss to become head coach at LSU sparked backlash from fans and former players.

In January 2026, Kiffin found himself in hot water over a social media post. According to Fox News, the coach posted a photo of two LSU-themed hats on Jan. 23, 2026, with the slogan, “Make Baton Rouge Great.” Kiffin appeared to use President Donald Trump’s infamous “Make America Great Again” slogan as inspiration for the hats. He also tagged Trump directly — a move that drew widespread attention.

The coach deleted the original post and reposted it on Jan. 24, 2026

On Jan. 24, 2026, Lane Kiffin reposted the image of the hats after deleting the initial post following backlash. According to Ground News, he didn’t tag Donald Trump in the second post. Instead, he captioned the second post, “f@LSUfootballi #225,” tagging LSU instead.

Those who follow Kiffin on social media still weren’t impressed. One internet user replied that the “internet remembers” even after Kiffin deleted the post tagging the current president.

That same day, Kiffin posted words of unity to X.

“Remember red and blue make purple. We can all get along,” he posted to X, tagging Ole Miss and LSU.

Representative Troy Carter criticized Lane Kiffin following the hat blunder on Jan. 25, 2026

U.S. Representative Troy A. Carter Sr., who represents Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, issued a public statement criticizing Lane Kiffin’s social media even after the coach later altered the caption. Carter emphasized that college athletics, especially at a major public institution like LSU, should not be a platform for divisive political messaging. He urged that the focus remain on the student-athletes and their achievements rather than on political controversy.

“Recent attention around a political social media post by LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin has created an unnecessary distraction from what truly matters,” Carter posted to X on Jan. 25, 2026. “College athletics should never be about slogans or division. It should be about the young men who have worked their entire lives to earn the opportunity to compete, grow, and represent their university with pride. Leadership matters. Words matter. And student-athletes should always come first.”

The post came with mixed comments.

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