Former Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl called Iran the “head of the snake” and backed President Donald Trump hours after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on the country. 

Pearl, one of a handful of Jewish coaches in college basketball before his retirement in September, took to social media shortly after the U.S. joined Israel in launching preemptive strikes against Iran on Saturday morning. 

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl during the first half in the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 30, 2025. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images) (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

“President Trump gave Iran a chance to avoid War by simply agreeing to No Nukes. Iran launched middles at other Arab countries and Israel, huge mistake! Saudi Arabia joins our side,” Pearl wrote in post on X. 

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“Iran is head of the snake. President Trump is the leader of the free world. Defeat Evil then Peace!”

 In an earlier post on X, Pearl made a plea for a “free Iran” and “real peace” in the Middle East. 

“Lord Hear Our Prayer Please put your hedge of protection over our heroic armed service as they target Iran military and missile sites with Operation Epic Fury. Pray for the innocent Pray for the enemy to be destroyed, a free Iran and then for real Peace in the Middle East.” 

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl signals to players against the Florida Gators during the first half in the semifinals of the men’s Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.  (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

In video remarks posted to Truth Social, Trump encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government once the United States and Israel finished “major combat operations” in Iran.

“The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside,” he said addressing the Iranian people. “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.”

Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes targeting U.S. facilities in multiple countries. Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported that approximately 40 missiles had landed in Israel. Additionally, Iran appeared to hit the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, but no casualties were reported. Iran also launched missiles at Saudi Arabia and Jordan, where the U.S. has squadrons of advanced fighter jets, Griffin added.

Smoke rises after reported Iranian missile attacks, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026. (Reuters)

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Pearl, an outspoken supporter of Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks, was named chairman of the board of directors for the U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA) in April. At the time of the announcement, Pearl said he was “proud to continue advocating for greater understanding and collaboration” between the U.S. and Israel.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

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FBI Director Kash Patel’s locker room celebration with the U.S. men’s hockey team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics has landed him in hot water with President Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Videos of Patel celebrating in the locker room surfaced following Team USA’s 2-1 overtime victory against Canada which marked the first American men’s hockey gold medal since the legendary 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” The footage captured Patel chugging beer, banging on tables and joining in raucous celebrations with the players.

However, Trump has repeatedly expressed his disappointment to Patel about the incident, a person familiar with the conversation revealed to NBC News. The president was also displeased with Patel’s use of a government jet to travel to Italy for the Olympics.

“Trump — who does not drink — told Patel he was unhappy not only with that scene, but also with Patel’s use of government aircraft for the trip to Milan, Italy, according to the person familiar with the matter,” NBC News reported.

The timing of the trip raised eyebrows as it coincided with a shooting incident at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida where an armed individual breached the security perimeter. Though Trump was not present during the incident, critics questioned whether the FBI director should have been abroad during such a significant security event.

Kash Patel defended his Olympic attendance

Patel has defended his presence at the Olympics stating the trip served official purposes beyond athletic spectating. He maintained that he met with Italian law enforcement and U.S. agencies providing security for the international event as well as overseeing protection for the estimated 250,000 American citizens who traveled to Milan.

“For the very concerned media — yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys,” Patel wrote on X following the controversy.

The FBI declined to comment on Trump’s reported displeasure. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a statement emphasizing the administration’s confidence in Patel and highlighting crime rates “dropping across the board” as evidence of successful implementation of the president’s law enforcement agenda.

This is not the first time Patel has faced scrutiny over his use of FBI aircraft. Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee previously requested that the Justice Department’s inspector general investigate what he characterized as Patel’s “misuse or mismanagement of government resources.”