ESPN personality Pat McAfee spent Tuesday evening alongside United States President Donald Trump at the 2026 Patriot Games final, meeting Trump at the airport and then sitting alongside him at the event.
McAfee was all smiles as he seemed to be enjoying himself at the event, and he confirmed as much in a post on social media afterward.
2026 Patriot GamesOn Tuesday night, the 2026 Patriot Games Finals were hosted at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, as the athletes were “tested on the skills from the Presidential Fitness Test, go through a military-inspired boot camp circuit, and finalists will compete in an obstacle course designed to test strategy and skill.”
The first-of-its-kind athletic competition was announced by Trump in 2025 as a way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
“In the fall, we will host the first-ever ‘Patriot Games,’ an unprecedented 4-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes, one young man and one young woman from each state and territory,” Trump said at the time.
McAfee Hangs Out With TrumpTrump arrived on Tuesday to watch the games in person, and McAfee was waiting for him on the tarmac in Cleveland.
An official government account on X posted a video of Pat McAfee welcoming Trump as he landed in Cleveland, before then smiling for photos with the President and walking to Marine One, the president’s helicopter.
.@POTUS is greeted on the tarmac by @PatMcAfeeShow and proceeds to Marine One.
Next stop: SPIRE Academy for the 2026 Patriot Games final! https://t.co/qstwgxp8LLpic.twitter.com/HJuYX3qEeQ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 11, 2026
Then, McAfee was spotted sitting next to the President as the pair took in the final live.
President Donald Trump sitting with @PatMcAfeeShow at the 2026 Patriot Games final in Ohio: pic.twitter.com/45u4cItgw0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 11, 2026
According to Front Office Sports’ Ellyn Briggs, McAfee was “invited to attend the event as a guest of President Trump.”
After the event, McAfee took to social media to share some of his own photos from the event, sharing selfies with Trump as he sent a pretty clear message about how much fun he had at the event.
“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. Cheers to the incredible contestants and to next year’s Patriot Games,” McAfee wrote in a post on X.
McAfee has long insisted that he is not a political person, but this appearance certainly sparked some criticism from some fans.
The post ‘Had a BLAST’: Pat McAfee sends a message after Donald Trump appearance appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.
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