National champions LSU to visit White House Friday

President Trump will host the Louisiana State University (LSU) football team at the White House on Friday to celebrate its national championship victory.

A White House spokesman confirmed that the LSU Tigers will make the trip to Washington, D.C., four days after defeating Clemson in the college football title game, 42-25.

Trump attended the game in New Orleans, where he was greeted with overwhelming cheers as he and first lady Melania Trump walked onto the field at the Superdome for the national anthem.

The president spoke highly of LSU during his multiple visits to Louisiana ahead of its gubernatorial election last year, singling out quarterback Joe Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, for praise. He also reportedly called LSU head coach Ed Orgeron following the team’s semifinal win on Dec. 28.

Trump, an avid football fan, attended three college games this season, two of them featuring the Tigers, who went undefeated for the first time in more than 60 years.

The tradition of teams visiting the White House to celebrate a championship has become fraught during the Trump presidency. Many pro athletes and coaches have opted to skip the visit and openly criticized Trump while doing so, while the president has disinvited teams that have been particularly outspoken, such as the NBA’s Golden State Warriors or the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

That has been less of an issue for college teams. Trump welcomed Clemson after it won the title game last January, serving players fast food from Wendy’s, Burger King and Domino’s Pizza.