Back-to-back Super Bowl Champions visit the White House

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, left, and Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt present President Joe Biden with a helmet at an event celebrating the team's 2024 Super Bowl championship, Friday, May 31, 2024, on the South Lawn of the White House (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz).

Biden welcomed the Kansas City Chiefs back to the South Lawn to celebrate their resilience and team accomplishments this past season.

Article by Victoria Newsome, Senior Election Correspondent

WASHINGTON - The Kansas City Chiefs always seem to make headlines. This time, President Joe Biden congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs on their second Super Bowl victory in two years, joking, "Back to back … I like that."

The celebration took place at the White House on Friday, with Biden encouraging staff, family, friends and the players to appreciate their hard-fought wins and season accomplishments. The Lombardi Trophy glistened next to a signed Chief's helmet, which President Biden gamely tried on.

“It was cool to see him put the helmet on,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters after the celebration on the South Lawn. “We didn’t expect that.” Coach Andy Reid speculated that Biden might have been the first president to wear an NFL helmet, adding, “You all witnessed it. It’s history being made.”

At the sun-splashed celebration, Biden recalled telling the Chiefs during their visit last year that the team was building a “dynasty.” Reflecting on their struggles last season, he said, “I don’t think anybody’s doubting you now.” Of the doubters, Biden joked, “I know what that feels like.”

Referring to Mahomes as the “comeback king, not kid,” Biden shared his memory of watching the game as Marine One brought him back to the White House that Sunday night. The Chiefs secured their latest Super Bowl victory (LVIII) by coming from behind in overtime to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Las Vegas this past February. This marked their third Lombardi Trophy in the past five years, with their previous Super Bowl win in 2023 against the Philadelphia Eagles and in 2020 against the 49ers as well.

Biden praised the players for their actions in February when gunfire erupted during Kansas City’s parade and rally honoring the team's Super Bowl win. A mother of two was killed, and others were injured. Biden took the time to acknowledge the horrible tragedy and took the time to share a voice of hope.

“We saw pride give way to tragedy,” Biden said, adding, “Amid the chaos, this team stepped up.” The president emphasized that the country must “do more to stop the tragic shootings before they happen.”

The celebration carried an underlying tension due to recent comments by Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who criticized Biden’s policies during a commencement speech in May. Despite the controversy, Butker joined his teammates at the White House. He recently defended his comments, expressing no regrets about sharing his beliefs.

In his speech at Benedictine College, Butker congratulated the graduating women and suggested that most were more excited about marriage and children rather than careers. He also criticized Biden’s positions, including his response to the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed nearly 1.2 million lives in the U.S.

Alternatively, many attendees hoped to see pop superstar, Taylor Swift, with Travis Kelce. However, Swift was absent as she continued her European leg of the “Eras Tour.” Despite this, Biden and Kelce shared a light-hearted moment as the President jokingly invited Kelce to the microphone, acknowledging his outgoing character.

Kelce humorously responded, “My fellow Americans, it’s nice to see you all yet again,” before returning to his place, quipping, “They told me if I came up here I’d get tased.”