San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich launched into a passionate critique of Donald Trump and his influence on American politics during a press conference on Saturday. Known for his candid opinions, Popovich described Trump as “pathetic,” “small,” and a “damaged man,” expressing frustration at the former president’s behavior and the support he continues to receive from Republican leaders.
Popovich openly questioned why so many GOP leaders back Trump despite their private criticisms and past statements condemning his character. “They’ve called him xenophobic, a religious bigot, a racist, unfit for office—those are their words. Yet they’re right there with him,” Popovich said, highlighting the inconsistency.
He challenged Republicans, asking if they ever consider the future implications for their children and grandchildren should Trump return to office. “Do they not know that they have children and grandchildren, probably, that are gonna lose freedom if this guy is elected? I’m not talking about a policy; I’m talking about the idea of our country.”
Popovich, who has been vocal about his disdain for Trump’s behavior over the years, didn’t hold back on his assessment of Trump’s character.
Referring to the former president as the “biggest whiner who ever walked the face of the earth,” he likened Trump to a “fifth-grade bully” and questioned if any parent would want their child emulating such behavior. “He’s like the poorest example of a fifth-grade bully I’ve ever seen. I mean, I just — would you want your kids to act like he does?” Popovich remarked.
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The Spurs coach continued by calling out Trump’s tendency to shift blame and play the victim, particularly during his speeches and rallies. “He throws out excuses constantly, like ‘Everybody’s come after me, everybody, this, that, and the other. I’m doing this for you. Poor me, poor me. Whine, whine, whine.’ And you look at it, the election that he lost and he continues to lie about it,” Popovich said, pointing to Trump’s ongoing claims of election fraud in 2020.
Reflecting on his role as a mentor and father figure, Popovich drew attention to the values he believes leaders should model for the next generation, values he finds lacking in Trump. He spoke of his own responsibility as a grandfather and how he’d want to set a positive example for his grandchildren.
“Like everybody in this room, you know, hopefully all of us taught our children, ‘You’re not gonna win all the time but when you win, be humble. When you lose, do it with grace.’ We all do that. He doesn’t do that,” Popovich said, pointing to Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results with humility.
In closing, Popovich posed a challenging question to Trump supporters: would they want the former president to serve as a role model for their children? “And so you wonder, all the people who support him, would they want him to teach their kids?”
