President Donald Trump appeared confused — asking “who’s Curt?” — while trying to praise Indiana Hoosiers football head coach Curt Cignetti.

Meanwhile, Cignetti was standing right next to Trump as the president welcomed the 2025 national champions to the White House.

“There’s no story like this,” Trump said in celebration of the team. “The Hoosiers delivered the program’s first-ever undefeated, untied season and capped it off with a first-ever national title. That’s amazing. Good job, fellas, a lot of muscle out there.”

The president seemed briefly confused as he tried to shout out Cignetti before laughing off the blunder.

“The National Signing Day — think of this — the press conference in 2023 shortly after joining Indiana, Curt — who’s Curt? — Curt Cignetti. Where is Curt Cignetti?” Trump asked.

“Right here,” Cignetti responded from directly over the president’s shoulder.

“Huh? Oh,” Trump gave Cignetti a pat on the back, from which Cignetti jokingly appeared to pull away, before bringing him even closer to the microphone. “Come here. Curt Cignetti has turned out to be, I believe, I think he’s the coach of the last decade, because he took a team, nobody knew him, nobody knew the team, and he ended up taking this team all the way. People were betting against you all the way, Curt.”

Trump continued to praise Cignetti, saying, “He took over in 2023 following a really bleak 3-9 season and immediately set a tone that few people have seen, I think, in the history of college football. At the National Signing Day press conference in 2023, shortly after joining Indiana, Curt was asked how he communicates his vision to recruits, and he said, ‘It’s pretty simple, I win. I just know how to win.’ That’s a very cocky guy. I don’t like people like that. Huh?”

Cignetti laughed it off with a “nah” as Trump threw his arm over Cignetti’s shoulder and declared, “I like this guy.”

“Just two years later, he brought home the national championship,” Trump added of Cignetti. “So, you know, when you do that stuff, you have to be able to produce when you act that way. Muhammad Ali used to get up there — you know, over the years, I’ve seen people that did it better than Muhammad Ali. The problem is they couldn’t fight properly. They lost. You can’t do that and lose, right? But a very special coach. I’ll tell you that. Just got to know him a little bit backstage, and he’s a winner.”

Watch above via NewsNation.

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