President Donald Trump stood on the podium on the White Home garden on Monday afternoon with a squad of Ohio State Buckeyes soccer gamers behind him to have fun their nationwide championship victory in the course of the 2024 season.
The forty seventh president started his remarks by remembering how particular Jan. 20 was for everybody on the stage — the Buckeyes beat the Notre Dame Combating Irish hours after Trump accomplished his inauguration in our nation’s capital.
“Seems Jan. 20 was a giant day for all of us. It is true. That was a giant day. I like that day. I am going to always remember that day,” Trump mentioned.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance welcome the 2025 Faculty Soccer Nationwide Champions from Ohio State College to the White Home throughout a ceremony on the south garden on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State received the nationwide championship by defeating Notre Dame within the Nationwide Championship sport by a rating of 34-23. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Pictures)
Trump acknowledged all these in attendance, together with former Buckeyes head coach and present Lt. Gov. of Ohio Jim Tressel in addition to different Ohio delegates.
Earlier than calling out particular reward for head coach Ryan Day and several other of his gamers, Trump made positive to say the historical past that comes with the nationwide championship trophy, which sat on a desk subsequent to a Buckeyes helmet and jersey whereas he made his speech.
“This was a historic yr in faculty soccer,” Trump mentioned. “Standing collectively at the moment, these males are the primary faculty soccer gamers in historical past who can proudly name themselves 12-team playoff champions. That’s not simple. You’re the primary ones.”
It actually wasn’t simple for the Buckeyes, particularly after struggling some robust losses in the course of the common season, which Trump introduced up. They fell to Oregon, a Faculty Soccer Playoff group, and Michigan, a group they had been anticipated to beat on their residence turf, however could not get its offense going.
“I shouldn’t say this. I really mentioned, ‘Ought to I depart this line out?’ They usually mentioned, ‘Sir, they wish to hear the entire thing,'” Trump mentioned. “The unhealthy and the nice, proper? However many individuals counted you out after the losses towards Oregon, which is a superb group, and that Group Up North — we received’t discuss it. However you refused to let Buckeyes Nation down. You bought higher and higher, and harder and harder because the season went alongside.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (Middle R) joins U.S. President Donald Trump as he welcomes the 2025 Faculty Soccer Nationwide Champions from Ohio State College to the White Home throughout a ceremony on the south garden on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State received the nationwide championship by defeating Notre Dame within the Nationwide Championship sport by a rating of 34-23. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Pictures)
“After a really robust common season, however with adversity, you held a closed-door, players-only assembly. This extraordinary group rallied collectively for a single superb imaginative and prescient: to win 4 straight playoff video games towards the best groups in faculty soccer. You had been capable of do it, clearly.”
Trump went on to reward the work of quarterback Will Howard, his offensive line, operating backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, and extra all through his speech. He made positive to shake everybody’s hand alongside the way in which as he defined their accomplishments.
Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio State alum, mentioned he was “so proud” to be along with his Buckeyes on the White Home garden to have fun a championship, which he is nonetheless ready for Sen. Ted Cruz to pay up on.
Vance mentioned he and Cruz, a Texas Longhorns supporter, made a wager on their groups going through off to earn a spot within the nationwide title sport.
U.S. President Donald Trump stands with Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day (R) as he welcomes the 2025 Faculty Soccer Nationwide Champions from Ohio State College to the White Home throughout a ceremony on the south garden on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State received the nationwide championship by defeating Notre Dame within the Nationwide Championship sport by a rating of 34-23. (Win McNamee/Getty Pictures)
And whereas it was all concerning the Buckeyes on Monday, Trump made positive to remind everybody on the garden, and people watching at residence, how a lot he loves Ohio, particularly after profitable the state “by a landslide” in the course of the presidential election in November 2024.
“The nice state of Ohio. I like that state,” he mentioned. “We received that state in a landslide! I like Ohio! We’ll by no means allow you to down. I swear, I promise.”
To shut the ceremony, Day introduced up his group captains — Egbuka, Jack Sawyer and Cody Smith — to current Trump with a customized Buckeyes jersey along with his title and the quantity 47 on the again.
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