At long last, Travis Kelce got his chance to finally speak in front of the presidential podium. And he stepped up at his own risk.
The 34-year-old superstar and the rest of his Kansas City Chiefs teammates on Friday visited the White House to celebrate their second straight Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs dispatched the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII in 2023, and then they outmuscled the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22, in Super Bowl LVIII earlier this year to bring home the franchise’s fourth Lombardi Trophy.
At first, President Joe Biden, wearing his trademark aviators, hesitated inviting Kelce to the podium fearing he wouldn’t know what the NFL star would say. But he took a chance, and Kelce seized the moment.
“My fellow Americans,” said Kelce in a deep baritone voice, prompting laughter from his teammates and invited guests. “It’s nice to see you all yet again. I’m not gonna lie, President Biden, they told me if I came up here I’d get tased. So, I’m gonna go back to my spot.”
President Joe Biden and Travis Kelce share a laugh after the president invited the Kansas Chiefs tight end to the podium at the White House. – Getty
Hilarious.
Kelce’s brother and New Heights podcast co-host, Jason, reacted to the moment by subtweeting the video and writing, “Man, Im not gonna lie, that was tight. Well done @tkelce, doesn’t get much cooler than that!”
Of course, fans will remember Kelce, who is currently dating Taylor Swift, spontaneously took the podium last year for a brief second, after he and quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered Biden a custom No. 46 jersey. Just then, Kelce sneakily sauntered over to the podium and said, “So, I’ve been waiting for this …” before Mahomes intercepted his teammate and apologized for the stunt before guiding him back towards the rest of the group.
Again, hilarious.
President Joe Biden wears a Kansas City Chiefs helmet, much to everyone’s delight. – Getty
Biden was also presented with a Chiefs helmet at Friday’s White House reception, where he was cheered on to wear it. POTUS obliged, as he unbuckled the chinstrap before sliding the helmet on his head. It prompting cheers from the Chiefs, some of whom could be heard cheering, “Do it! Do it!”
It’s worth noting that Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker — who chuckled with the rest of his teammates after Biden threw on the helmet — attended the festivities. His presence came just weeks after his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he railed against Pride month, working women and Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which drew widespread condemnation, from the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, the faith-based magazine U.S. Catholic and the NFL.
Mahomes distanced himself from Butker’s comments, and Kelce shared he doesn’t agree with the majority of the views his teammate expressed, though both Mahomes and Kelce also expressed Butker as a good teammate.
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