Pat McAfee has responded to a wave of criticism following his recent appearance with President Donald Trump at the inaugural Patriot Games. The ESPN host, who has often described himself as apolitical, addressed the backlash on the social media platform X.
The four-day high school athletics competition, created by the White House, concluded Tuesday in Geneva, Ohio. McAfee greeted Trump on the tarmac as Air Force One landed and accompanied the President to the SPIRE Academy for the event's finale.
During the event, McAfee sat next to Trump, who was dressed in a suit and red tie, while McAfee wore a black t-shirt, jeans, and a backward baseball cap.
Social media users criticized McAfee's presence, with some calling his appearance hypocritical given his past statements on politics. Critics on X questioned his apolitical stance, with one user asking, "Can we finally cancel Pat??" Others referred to him as "Pat MAGAfee" and expressed disappointment with his association.
McAfee's response on X focused on promoting the event and his upcoming projects. He wrote, "Promoting American High Schoolers being active and competitive and potentially winning life changing scholarship money alongside my business partners at Disney/ABC/ESPN." He then announced his debut music album, "The Diary Of A Polarizing Figure," set for release later that week.
This was not the first time McAfee has been in proximity to Trump; he previously hosted the President on his daytime talk show in November. Despite the recent controversy, McAfee had been careful to avoid aligning himself with either major political party for years.