Donald Trump seems to have found his go-to menu for champion athletes visiting the White House. After putting together a fast food feast for the Clemson Tigers championship football team earlier this year in January, The Hill reported that he created a similar menu for the North Dakota State Bison championship team.
Trump hosted the Bison at the White House on Monday, March 4, after the team won the FCS Championship in January with a 38-24 win over Eastern Washington. As noted by TMZ , the win is the team’s seventh title in the last eight years, though this is their first visit to the White House to celebrate.
The champion players and coaches were treated to yet another large spread of assorted fast food items set up on silver platters that adorned a long table inside the State Dining Room. Options included menu items from McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A, which is slightly different from the feast put together for the Clemson Tigers, who were served food from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King.
At the time of Clemson’s visit back in January, the president attributed the meal to the government shutdown. And while the decision received some backlash on social media, it appeared to go over well with the Tigers, as quarterback Trevor Lawrence told TMZ Sports at the time that the feast “was awesome.”
It’s another fast food buffet at the WH as Pres Trump welcomes 2018 Division I Football National Champions: The North Dakota State Bison to the WH. In case any bison team members object to eating burgers, chicken sandwiches are available. (Pool photo @HansNichols ) pic.twitter.com/AhG4ITixQT
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 4, 2019
And while the president acknowledged that this time around he could have had the White House chefs prepare a meal for the North Dakota State champs, he reasoned with the team that he “know[s] you people,” leading to the creation of another fast food buffet.
Trump celebrated FCS champs North Dakota State with more fast food at the White House. ??
(?: @ThisWeekABC ) pic.twitter.com/Th1Rin1xL2
— theScore (@theScore) March 4, 2019
A number of Clemson Tigers chose to skip their visit to the White House in January. However, all 108 North Dakota State players that finished the season at the Division 1 FCS national title game, as well as coaches and two team members that transferred after Christmas, were reported by The Grand Forks Herald to have been in attendance of today’s trip.
“This isn’t a political trip, this is a Bison trip and, personally I sold it as two things,” head coach Matt Entz explained to the publication. “It’s one more opportunity for the 2018 team to be together, but also in my mind the start of the 2019 season and the things we’re going to do together.”
“We sold it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we’re taking,” the coach added. “I want to make this as great of an experience of being part of Bison football as possible.”