Former NFL nose tackle Breiden Fehoko came to Pat McAfee’s defense following backlash over the former NFL punter’s appearance alongside President Donald Trump at the 2026 Patriot Games finale in Geneva, Ohio, on Tuesday.
Fehoko shut down critics who called out McAfee for walking into the arena next to Trump on X on Wednesday.
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“You are an icon @PatMcAfeeShow,” Fehoko tweeted. “All these cry babies on here ain’t have jack sh*t to say when LeBron was twerking on stage with Hillary Clinton. MAGA 🇺🇸”
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Fehoko’s reference dates back to the 2016 presidential election cycle, when LeBron James joined Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on stage at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio. During that appearance, James endorsed Clinton, took photos, and spoke alongside her to rally local voters in his home state.
The controversy began with the inaugural 2026 Patriot Games, a three-day youth sports tournament held at SPIRE Academy as part of ongoing celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. It featured 14- to 17-year-old high school athletes representing all 50 states. The event ended with a finale attended by President Trump.
McAfee, who hosted coverage surrounding the event, greeted Trump at Air Force One upon his arrival in Northeast Ohio before walking alongside the President into the arena for the championship ceremony. Images and clips of the grand entrance went viral, leading to criticism from fans. The ESPN host was accused of crossing political lines.
Robert Littal on criticism of Pat McAfee over Aaron Rodgers comments
NFL analyst Pat McAfee hosted Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show last week, where the four-time MVP sparked controversy with comments about ESPN employees. Rodgers also criticized ESPN and other media outlets for their coverage of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Senate appearance.
NFL insider Robert Littal shared his feelings about McAfee giving Rodgers a platform to make controversial comments.
“I can tell you factually McAfee is not beloved by a faction of people inside the ESPN building, but what McAfee has that others don’t is power and leverage over his brand because he didn’t let ESPN just buy it outright they can’t really police what he does.”
Littal also pushed back against Rodgers’ remarks about Fauci. He called out the Steelers quarterback for making false claims about vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Edited by Nishant