Jill Biden has pulled back on the White House visit she offered to second-place Iowa after LSU star Angel Reese blasted Biden’s idea as “a joke.”
Biden floated her odd offer while visiting the Colorado state capital in Denver on Monday, where she praised the winning LSU Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes for their respective seasons, culminating in the Tigers taking the title.
“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House; we always do,” Biden said in Denver Monday, according to the New York Post.
“So, we hope LSU will come, but, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too because they played such a good game,” she added.
If such a dual visit were to happen, it would be a first for the White House. Presidents have only ever celebrated winners in the past, not runners-up.
Even LSU star Angel Reese thought the whole thing was absurd. She blasted Biden’s idea as “a joke.”
After news of Biden’s offer broke, Reese took to Twitter to dismiss the idea:
A JOKE. https://t.co/9SiOKQNqbj
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 3, 2023
But by Tuesday, the first lady’s staff was racing to claw back the offer.
“The First Lady loved watching the NCAA women’s basketball championship game alongside young student-athletes and admires how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX,” the first lady’s press secretary, Vanessa Valdivia, tweeted.
“Her comments in Colorado were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House,” Valdivia added.
Her comments in Colorado were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House.
— Vanessa Valdivia (@vvaldivia46) April 4, 2023
The Iowa-LSU game was the most-viewed women’s basketball game on record. But only one team won.
Of course, the game wasn’t without controversy, as Angel Reese came under fire and was labeled “classless” for taunting Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
Reese sought out Clark as the game came to an end to wave her hand in her face, emulating wrestler John Cena’s “you don’t see me” wave. She also pointed to her ring finger to drive home that it would be Reese bringing home the ring, not Clark. Reese performed her taunt after Clark had done something similar in a previous game.
But Reese was blasted as classless by those who felt her act was unsportsmanlike. While others supported Reese and called her detractors “racists.”
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