President Biden Hands the Mic to Travis Kelce at Chiefs’ Super Bowl Celebration Event

After Travis Kelce tried — and failed — to address the crowd at a 2023 White House Super Bowl celebration, President Joe Biden let the tight end take the mic on May 31 when he hosted the Kansas City Chiefs for their second straight NFL championship win.

Biden praised the team’s successful season amid its “share of struggles,” including “doubters” during the team’s midseason slump and a -4 degree start to the playoffs in January.

“I don’t think anybody’s doubting you now. You fought hard. You kept the faith,” Biden said, giving a special shoutout to the team’s “comeback king — not kid,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

At the end of his remarks, before turning the mic over to Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, Biden called up another speaker.

“I’d have Travis come up here, but God only knows what he’ll say,” Biden said. “Travis, come here.”

As his teammates “oohed” behind him, Kelce, almost sheepishly, approached the podium.

“My fellow Americans, it’s nice to see you all yet again,” Kelce said. “Uh, I’m not going to lie, President Biden, they told me if I came up here I’d get tased, so I’m going to go back to my spot.”

Kelce’s antics got his older brother’s stamp of approval.

“Man, Im not gonna lie, that was tight,” former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce wrote on X. “Well done @tkelce, doesn’t get much cooler than that!

Travis Kelce similarly hammed it up for the crowd at Kansas City’s last visit in June 2023, briefly stepping away from a photo op with Mahomes and Biden to take to the podium.

“So, I’ve been waiting for this — ” Kelce started, before Mahomes pulled the tight end away from the mic.

During that 2023 visit, Mahomes and Kelce gave Biden a Chiefs jersey. This year, the president completed his ensemble, receiving a Chiefs helmet that he promptly put on and wore for the rest of the event.
The Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11. The NFL championship game saw record viewership, likely in part due to the attendance of Kelce’s girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift.

Swift was not mentioned or present at this year’s White House event, off the heels of two “Eras Tour” shows in Madrid on May 29 and 30.

During Biden’s speech, he also honored defensive tackle Chris Jones, as well as guard Trey Smith and long snapper James Winchester, who helped comfort and protect people after the fatal Super Bowl parade shooting in downtown Kansas City on Feb. 14. One person died and at least 25 people were injured in the shooting.

Kicker Harrison Butker was visible behind Biden during the president’s speech, standing among his teammates. The White House visit comes just weeks after Butker’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College sparked backlash across the country.