Politics
College Basketball Star Endorses Trump: ‘Stand Up For What You Believe’
College basketball standout Johni Broome just made national headlines not for his skills on the court but for his recent presidential endorsement.
On Monday, the Auburn basketball star threw his support behind former President Donald Trump in a fiery post amid a heated political debate spearheaded by his head coach, Bruce Pearl, who took a swing at Vice President Kamala Harris’s changing policies.
Broome’s endorsement quoted a critical post from Coach Pearl, who lashed out against Harris after Senator Tom Cotton (R-AL) criticized her healthcare policies, claiming she wants to push Americans off their job-based health plans in favor of a government-run system that includes illegal aliens.
“Kamala Harris is so extreme she wants to kick you off the health insurance you get through your job,” Cotton wrote in response to a 2019 NBC News article. “Like a true San Francisco radical, she wants everyone—even illegal aliens—on a government plan.”
The article details that Harris voiced her support for a single-payer healthcare system, and replacing private insurance. The then-2020 candidate positioned herself to the left of one of the most contentious divides within the Democrat field, but she has shied away from her radical policies as the 2024 Democrat Presidential nominee, focusing her attacks on her counterpart, former President Donald Trump. Supporters of Medicare For All hailed Harris’s remarks as proof that their stance has gained mainstream acceptance within the Democrat Party, contrasting sharply with Hillary Clinton’s 2016 dismissal of the concept as “a theoretical debate about some better idea that will never, ever come to pass.”
“The idea is that everyone gets access to medical care, and you don’t have to go through the process of going through an insurance company, having them give you approval, going through the paperwork, all of the delay that may require,” Harris said at the time.
“Thank you for pointing this out, Senator Cotton,” Pearl’s tweet read. “Except my guess is that, like many of her socialist, woke progressive beliefs, she’s now changing them or hiding them to get elected! We won’t get fooled again!”
Thank you for pointing this out Senator Cotton, except my guess is that like many of her socialist, woke progressive beliefs she's now changing them or hiding them to get elected! We won't get fooled again! https://t.co/qTuLHxjADV
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) August 26, 2024
“Thanks, Coach Pearl, for not being afraid to stand up for what you believe, as a conservative I really appreciate a coach that is not afraid to stand up for what they believe in … #MAGA2024,” Broome tweeted, aligning himself with his coach’s conservative values.
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Broome currently plays for the Auburn Tigers in the SEC. He previously played for the Morehead State Eagles. In college, Broome stepped up as a key player for Morehead State following an injury to a teammate. He concluded his freshman year as the OVC Freshman of the Year and a member of the First Team All-OVC, breaking a record with nine OVC Freshman of the Week awards. In his freshman season, he averaged 13.8 points, nine rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Broome entered the transfer portal in April 2022 and subsequently announced his transfer to Auburn later that month. He then earned an All-American selection with his stellar play in 2024.
As the 2024 presidential race approaches its climactic phase, Vice President Harris and former President Trump are focusing on crucial battleground states this week, gearing up for their debate on September 10.
(VOTE: Are You Supporting TRUMP Or KAMALA In November?)
