President Donald Trump, without a doubt the most sports-minded president in recent memory, is in Ohio on Tuesday night for the culmination of the 2026 Patriots Games – and he brought Pat McAfee in tow.
So the most beloved and most hated politician in the country, and the most beloved and most hated sports personality in the country (sorry, Stephen A.) hung out Tuesday evening.
Pat McAfee appears on the College GameDay show before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 13, 2025. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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McAfee, the former NFL punter and prolific ESPN personality, sports show host, and soon-to-be highest-paid employee, met Air Force One when it landed in the Midwest.
And, God bless McAfee, he was wearing a baseball cap. Backwards.
The dude is meeting the most powerful man on the planet and he wore jeans, a T-shirt, sneakers and a backwards cap to the meeting.
Told you he is at once beloved and bemoaned.
Trump got off the plane and stepped into a consistent rain shower. He held his umbrella with one hand and pointed at McAfee with the other. And McAfee stood in the rain and similarly pointed at Trump.
Pat McAfee makes his entrance during WrestleMania 42 Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
This is game recognizing game.
And this is going to set off some people. Because, did we mention? McAfee works at ESPN and the former World Wide Leader is not known for being a bastion of conservative political principles.
So there could be internal backlash for McAfee.
Don’t think so? Ask New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, or Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph what followed their meetings with Trump.
Chances are good McAfee won’t be moved. He’s been here before because he was criticized for having Trump on his show last November as a bow to Veterans Day and he defended the move.
McAfee actually sat next to Trump at this event.
Pat McAfee defended his decision to have President Donald Trump on his show Tuesday afternoon. (Gilbert Flores, Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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When the crowd cheered, “We love you, Mr. President,” McAfee applauded.
And about that event: The White House said Trump’s return to the Buckeye State for the Patriot Games finals was “to celebrate 250 years of American Independence by honoring the excellence, grit and competitive spirit of America’s youth.”
The Patriot Games is a national youth athletic competition held at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. It brings together teenage athletes ages 14 to 17, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, and tribal nations to compete in sports and physical challenges as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The competition will award a $250,000 scholarship prize pool to one male and one female champion, creating opportunities for young Americans in the hope it inspires millions of others across the country.
McAfee discussed the Patriot Games on his show Tuesday. One might expect he will discuss the event on his show Wednesday. And he might tell everyone what he thought of Trump.
This is going to break some brains at ESPN.
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