First Lady Jill Biden appeared to change her tune on a matter involving two basketball teams and a visit to the White House.
Biden initially suggested the Iowa women’s basketball team should be invited along with the NCAA women’s basketball champions LSU to the White House.
She received backlash on social media over the suggestion.
Vanessa Valdivia, press secretary to the first lady, sought to clarify the first lady’s comment on Twitter.
“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,” Valdivia wrote.
She 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.”
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 Archived (@vvaldivia46) April 4, 2023
LSU basketball player Angel Reese made headlines after she reacted to Biden’s suggestion with laughing emojis along with the caption, “A JOKE,” IJR reported.
Biden made the suggestion while speaking at an event at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Monday.
“So I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come but, you know, I’m going to tell Joe [Biden] I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game,” she said.
According to ESPN, the tradition of championship teams visiting the White House goes all the way back to 1865 when President Andrew Johnson had the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals amateur baseball clubs come to the White House.
“When these sports teams come to the White House to honor their championship, we also honor them for their work in the community,” former President Barack Obama’s White House spokesman Frank Benenati said in 2016, per ESPN.
He added, “And in each speech marking a championship, the president has mentioned their community work. … [Arranging] the president’s schedule is extremely difficult, of course, but we believe it is important to honor teams for the work they’re doing on and off the court in their communities.”
