President Donald Trump trolls Alabama after Week 1 loss, acknowledges Auburn win

United States President Donald Trump is a notorious sports fan, and as such, even he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to poke fun at then-No. 8 Alabama‘s 31-17 season-opening upset at the hands of previously-unranked Florida State.

During a Tuesday afternoon press conference from the White House announcing a planned move of the U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Alabama, Trump tried to crack a joke at the expense of Alabama Rep. Sentor Tommy Tuberville by bringing up the Crimson Tide’s first season-opening loss in 24 years. For his part, Tuberville — who previously served as Auburn‘s head football coach between 1999-2008 — took the attempted dig in stride before reminding the president his Tigers beat Baylor 38-24 last Friday night in Waco.

“Tommy Tuberville, who’s a great coach, and uh, I won’t say anything about what happened with Alabama football this weekend, but you’re not used to that, right?” Trump said with a wry smile before turning toward Tuberville.

Tuberville quickly countered by pointing out Auburn — the team he coached for a decade in the 2000s — actually won their season-opening game Friday night.

“Auburn won, that’s right, so you’re happy,” Trump replied with a chuckle. “Tommy’s been a great senator as you know and a fantastic guy all around, he was also a tremendous coach.”

Watch the full exchange here:

Donald Trump: "Tommy Tuberville, who's a great coach. And I won't say anything about what happened with Alabama football this weekend. But you're not used to that, right?"

Tuberville: "Auburn won."

Trump: "Auburn won, that's right. So you're happy." pic.twitter.com/PXyHmaHJpx

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 2, 2025

Trump has a long history with Alabama football, including establishing a relationship with retired former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban that led to the president briefly appointing the 73-year-old Saban as co-chair to a currently-paused presidential commission on college sports earlier this year. Trump was also the honored speaker at one of Alabama’s Spring commencement ceremonies this past May.

Trump hosted Saban and Alabama in 2018 after the Crimson Tide won the 2017 College Football Playoff national championship. Saban and Alabama previously visited the White House four times during former President Barak Obama‘s eight-year term between 2009-17.

Tua Tagovailoa reacts to President Donald Trump botching his name, does impression

A week after President Donald Trump completely botched the pronunciation of Tua Tagovailoa‘s last name, the Miami Dolphins quarterback returned the favor in kind.

Tagovailoa — pronounced “tun-go-val-oa” — laughed off the President’s mispronunciation of his traditional Hawaiian surname following an Aug. 6 preseason practice. The former Alabama QB even playfully included his own impression of Trump’s rather unique way of speaking during July 31’s announcement from the White House after signing an executive order expanding the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition to include Tagovailoa among other profressional athletes.

“I mean, I don’t think he’s had the worst (mispronunciation). I heard a couple worst (when I was) at Alabama,” Tagovailoa joked Aug. 6. “But it is what it is. I don’t take that to heart. It is what it is.”

At this point, Tagovailoa breaks out his own impression of Trump: “He’s a great guy. Phenominal guy. Just got to stay healthy. … All of that. I liked that. I enjoyed it.”