President Donald Trump found himself on the podium on the White House grass on Monday afternoon with a squad of the Ohio state buckey soccer players behind him to celebrate his victory in the National Championship during the 2024 season.
The 47th President began his comments when he remembered how special was on January 20 for everyone on stage: Buckeyes beat Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hoes after Trump completed his inauguration in the capital of our nation.
“It turns out that January 20 was a great day for all of us. It’s true. That was a great day. I love that day. I will never forget that day,” Trump said.
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The president of the United States, Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance welcomed the National University Football Champions 2025 of the Ohio State University to the White House during a ceremony at the South Lawn on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State won the National Championship by defeating Notre Dame in the National Championship game for a 34-23 score. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty images)
Trump recognized all attendees, including former Buckeyes chief coach and current Lieutenant Governor of Ohio Jim Tressel, as well as other Ohio delegates.
Before calling specific praise for chief coach Ryan Day and several of his players, Trump made sure to mention the story that comes with the national championship trophy, who sat on a table next to a helmet and a buckey shirt while pronouncing his speech.
“This was a historic year in university football,” Trump said. “Standing together today, these men are the first university football players in history that can be proudly called playoff champions of 12 teams. That is not easy. You are the first.”
It was certainly not easy for buckey, especially after suffering some difficult losses during the regular season, which Trump mentioned. They fell to Oregon, a team of university American football playoffs, and Michigan, a team that was expected to win in their local territory, but could not launch their offensive.
“I shouldn’t say this. I really said: ‘Should I leave this line out?’ And they said: ‘Lord, they want to listen to everything, “Trump said. “The bad and the good, right? But many people told you after the defeats against Oregon, which is a great team, and that team in the north, we will not talk about it. But you refused to disappoint Nation Buckeyes. Better and better improvements, harder and harder as the season advanced.
The governor of Ohio, Mike Dewine (Center R) joins the president of the United States, Donald Trump, while welcoming the National University Soccer Champions of 2025 of the Ohio State University to the White House during a ceremony at the South Lawn on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State won the National Championship by defeating Notre Dame in the National Championship game for a 34-23 score. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty images)
“After a very strong regular season, but with adversity, you celebrated a closed doors meeting and only for players. This extraordinary group joined for a single glorious vision: winning four consecutive playoff games against the best teams in university football. You could do it, obviously.”
Trump praised the work of Campo de Campo Will Howard, his offensive line, the Quinshon Judkins and Treveyon Henderson runners, Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith receptors, and more during his speech. He claimed to shake everyone’s hand along the way while explaining his achievements.
Vice President JD Vance, a student in the state of Ohio, said he was “so proud” to be with his buckey on the White House grass to celebrate a championship, who is still waiting for Senator Ted Cruz to pay.
Vance said that he and Cruz, a supporter of Texas Lonchorns, made a bet on their facing teams to win a place in the national title game.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, meets Ohio’s head coach Ryan Day (R), since he welcomes the National University Soccer Champions of 2025 of Ohio State University to the White House during a ceremony at the South Lawn on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State won the National Championship by defeating Notre Dame in the National Championship game for a 34-23 score. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
And although everything was the Buckeyes on Monday, Trump made sure to remember everyone on the grass, and those who looked at home, how much he loves Ohio, especially after winning the state “for a landslide” during the presidential elections in November 2024.
“The great state of Ohio. I love that state,” he said. “We won that state in a landslide! I love Ohio! We will never disappoint you. I swear, I promise.”
To close the ceremony, Day raised the captains of his team, Egbuka, Jack Sawyer and Cody Smith, to present Trump a personalized buckey shirt with his name and number 47 on the back.
