Donald Trump Sparks Controversy With Inappropriate Joke During White House Visit by Ohio State Football Team
Former President Donald Trump made a controversial and awkward joke while hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes football team at the White House, following their national championship victory.
The Buckeyes, who were ranked eighth in the College Football Playoff, advanced through a strong postseason run by defeating Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas, before securing a 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the final, held at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It marked their ninth national title and first since 2014.
During the event, Trump praised the team’s hard work and resilience, saying, “The road to greatness is paved by hard work, sweat, and often a great deal of adversity.” He was gifted a team jersey and helmet by head coach Ryan Day and the players.
However, controversy arose when Trump made a crude comment about defensive end Jack Sawyer. Referring to Sawyer’s emotional response after the championship win, Trump joked:
“He later said that it was the best feeling he’d ever felt. Are you sure about that, Jack? I don’t know about that. As he gets older, who knows?”
While some players laughed, the remark clearly made others uncomfortable. Online, the reaction was swift and critical. Social media users called out Trump’s comment as inappropriate, with some questioning his maturity and judgment. One user wrote, “He has the mental maturity of a child,” while another added, “This man could make a kindergarten speech uncomfortable.”
Separately during the visit, Vice President JD Vance—an Ohio State alum—accidentally dropped the championship trophy. Fortunately, it wasn’t damaged. Vance later joked on social media, saying, “I didn’t want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it.”
