Politicians have typically shied away from helmets and the like after presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis’ much-mocked 1988 turn in a battle tank wearing a large, high-tech helmet. But players gave Biden good reviews.
“It was cool to see him put the helmet on,” star quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters after the celebration held on the South Lawn. “We didn’t expect that. But it was really cool to see him throw that Chiefs helmet on and you get that Chiefs kingdom kind of for the rest of the nation to see.”
The Democratic president recalled that he said at last year’s celebration for the Chiefs that they are building a “dynasty.” He noted the struggles they overcame last season on the road to the Super Bowl and said, “I don’t think anybody’s doubting you now.”
He noted the shooting in February at Kansas City’s parade and rally honoring the team’s Super Bowl victory, which killed a mother of two and host of a local radio program.
“We saw pride give way to tragedy,” Biden said, adding that, “amid the chaos this team stepped up.”
“‘This team is exceptional,” the president said, adding that the country as a whole must “do more to stop the tragic shootings before they happen.”
Biden recognized the Chiefs after their come-from-behind overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February. It’s a long-standing tradition for championship sports teams, both professional and collegiate, to be invited to the White House.
In 2023, the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, First Lady Jill Biden’s favorite football team. She grew up near Philadelphia and attended the game. Kansas City defeated San Francisco to claim the 2020 Super Bowl title.
Kicker Harrison Butker, who made headlines by assailing some of Biden’s policies during a commencement speech this month, accompanied his teammates to the White House. Butker recently defended his comments, saying he had no regrets about expressing his beliefs.
In the May 16 speech at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kan., Butker congratulated the women who were receiving degrees and said most of them were probably more excited about getting married and having children.
He criticized some of Biden’s policy positions, including the president’s condemnation of the Supreme Court’s reversal of its 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.
Superville writes for the Associated Press. A Times staff writer contributed to this report.