Vice President Harris Celebrates the NCAA Championship Teams at the White House
Vice President Harris welcomes 2023-2024 NCAA Champions to the White House on Monday, July 22, 2024 (Grace Sawyer/AKSM Photography).
This was Harris’ first appearance since President Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris to be the next nominee.
Article by Grace Sawyer, Senior White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON - There is no greater place to celebrate the unity and camaraderie sports fosters in America than at the White House for the 2023-2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association champions celebration.
This event gathers top collegiate athletes from different states, divisions, and sports in order to acknowledge their excellence in their respective fields.
On Monday morning, nearly 1,000 athletes, coaches, and trainers convened on the South Lawn to listen to Vice President Kamala Harris give her remarks.
It was noted that President Biden wished he could be in attendance, but since he had not yet tested negative for COVID-19, he could not speak at nor attend the celebration.
The ceremony started with a rendition of “We Are The Champions” being played by the band as coach-selected student representatives for every team being recognized filed onto the stage.
The weather was cloudy and overcast with light rain but that did not stop teammates in the crowd from standing and cheering wildly when their teammates took to the stage, the White House looming behind them.
The celebration began with NCAA Senior Vice President of Championships Lynda Tealer extending her congratulations to the teams and telling everyone that whether it was “their first or one of many [national championships]” what they had done was “remarkable.” She also highlighted that the players were using their platforms the success had brought them to do “really incredible things,” before continuing on to introduce Vice President Harris.
This was Harris’ first public appearance since President Biden announced on Sunday that he will be dropping out of the 2024 Presidential Election, and consequently endorsing Harris. The crowd held their breath, waiting to see what the Vice President had to say about her campaign, if anything.
Harris took to the podium, greeting the teams, thanking Lynda and other members of the administration. She then noted she wanted to say a few words about President Biden.
“In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two terms in office,” said Harris as the large audience gave a round of applause.
She noted that she first got to know President Biden through his son, Beau, and they both admired the same traits in the current President, most notably, “his honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart, and his love – deep love – of our country.”
She then proceeded to praise the teams in attendance, including seven undefeated teams, 11 repeat champions, 20 first-time winners and many athletes that will continue to compete on an international stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Vice President Harris strengthened the feeling of American pride by reminding the athletes that, “When you play, you inspire people across our nation. You remind all of us what can be achieved with hard work and ambition.”
She finished her remarks with a final congratulations before turning the microphone over to Jordan Dudley, a Florida State University women’s soccer player. Dudley spoke about what this visit meant to her and the other athletes.
Vice President Harris’s remarks were undoubtedly inspiring and memorable. There were many eyes on the Vice President, as she is seemingly the successor to Biden as the Democratic Party nominee, and she excelled amid the chaos.
She addressed the athletes with strength and reminded them what they had accomplished while also paying respect to the current President, who she formerly referred to as “selfless” and “patriotic” in her statement after President Biden’s announcement on Sunday. She spoke with confidence and admiration that resonated with nearly everyone in attendance.