President Donald Trump attended the Patriot Games at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, on Tuesday, where he was joined by ESPN personality Pat McAfee. The event, focused on high school athletes, awarded scholarships to one young woman and one young man.
McAfee greeted Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland as the president deplaned Air Force One. Video shared on social media showed the two men shaking hands before proceeding to the event. They were later seen together, with McAfee seated next to Trump.
Front Office Sports reported that McAfee was a guest of Trump's at the Patriot Games. ESPN aired the event on its app and planned a one-hour prime time special on its linear network.
McAfee, a former NFL punter, expressed interest in helping the event grow. "We have no idea what’s going on over there, certainly something we would be interested in though," McAfee said on his show Tuesday. "Would certainly like to help this continue."
The Patriot Games website described the event as featuring athletic challenges designed to test strength, endurance, agility, teamwork, and perseverance. Competitions included a Presidential Fitness Test, a military-inspired boot camp circuit, an obstacle course, and team sports such as kickball and dodgeball.
McAfee later posted on X about his involvement, stating he was "proud" to support the initiative. "Had a BLAST celebrating high schoolers from across the country with the Heads of Disney, ABC, ESPN, and… The United States Of America I’m proud of all parties getting behind this important initiative to keep future generations excited about remaining active," he wrote, sharing photos that included Trump. He also offered congratulations to the contestants and looked forward to next year's games.
This is not the first interaction between McAfee and Trump. McAfee previously interviewed Trump on his ESPN show on Veterans Day and met with him in person during the college football national championship game.