Bruce Pearl Facing Serious Backlash For ‘Divisive’ Barack Obama Claim originally appeared on The Spun.
Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl is under fire because of something he said about former President Barack Obama a few days ago.
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Last week, Pearl ripped Obama for sharing a New York Times article about children starving in Gaza. The outspoken coach made it clear that he doesn’t want to hear Obama’s viewpoint about the crisis in the Middle East.
“You gave billions to Iran and Hamas creating this mess and not one word from you calling for THEM to release the hostages, surrender and end the War,” Pearl wrote on X. “Tell Hamas to 1) Quit stealing and reselling aid 2) Stop attacking GHF workers who are feeding Gazans. 3) Leave and end suffering.”
A few days later, Pearl went off on Obama during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.” He accused the former president of dividing the United States with his policies.
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“I get so frustrated when I hear what a terrible country we are or how racist we are, how this is not the land of opportunity for everybody,” Pearl said, via Fox News Digital. “Look, we’ve got a lot to work on, and there is racism that absolutely does exist, and it’s wrong. But it’s a lot better for my players than it was for their fathers, and their fathers’ fathers. I want my guys to recognize that there are going to be obstacles, but not roadblocks. That’s what Barack Obama did.
“However, as our president, I disagreed with so many of his policies. I thought that rather than uniting us as a country … he divided us. Everything was black and white. Everything was [about] the obstacles that were against my players from being successful. I’m trying to teach my guys ‘I don’t want you to work at Subway – I want you to own five of them.’ I think in many ways, Barack Obama told a different story.”
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – MARCH 04: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers looks on against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Reed Arena on March 04, 2025 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Alex Slitz/Getty Images
It didn’t take long for sports fans to fire back at Pearl for these remarks.
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“If you say I didn’t like Barack Obama because of his tax policies or something similar, okay then I feel you. But whenever these guys bring out the “he divided us” card it’s a huge red flag. A Black parent is insane letting their kids play for Bruce Pearl,” one fan said.
“President Obama by just being a Black man divided the country. Bruce Pearl’s racism hated him for existing as Commander in Chief,” a second person wrote on X.
“It’s outrageous that a fool who thinks Obama divided America has any control over lives of young black men. America was already racially divided waaaaay before Obama; trump’s election was a direct result of white folks like Bruce Pearl’s racist reaction/revenge,” another fan commented.
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“Bruce Pearl is confusing Barack Obama with the current president, who is currently on a warpath, making sure people who look like his players don’t succeed in this country. I hope those Black players on Bruce Pearl’s team see this,” a social media user added.
We’re not sure if Pearl’s comments about Obama will impact how players view him.
Pearl is getting ready for his 12th season as Auburn’s head coach. He’s coming off his second Final Four appearance.Â
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Bruce Pearl Facing Serious Backlash For ‘Divisive’ Barack Obama Claim first appeared on The Spun on Aug 3, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.