Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said thoughts of being hit with a stun gun were with him after he received an impromptu invitation to speak during the team’s meeting with President Joe Biden last week.
The revelation came during the Kelce brothers’ “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday as a grinning Travis told brother Jason about his moment of fame during the Super Bowl champions’ White House visit on May 31.
During the Chiefs’ visit last year, Travis Kelce’s version of being on his best behavior at the White House meant that during a moment when the podium was unguarded, he moved to the mic there and began, “So, I’ve been waiting for this …”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes gave Kelce a good-natured push from the podium before whatever message Kelce hoped to deliver could be said.
Travis Kelce wanted to get on the mic at the White House pic.twitter.com/RYmGqPvDuZ
— Ari M (@AriMeirov) June 5, 2023
This year, Biden summoned Kelce to finally get it off his chest.
“My fellow Americans, it’s nice to see you all yet again. I’m not going to lie. President Biden, they told me if I came up here, I’d get Tased. So I’m going to go back to my spot, all right?” the tight end said.
As he laughed about the moment, Travis Kelce said he did not think he was the favorite of the Secret Service detail.
“The Secret Service that’s all over the White House, they weren’t too happy with me. They weren’t too happy with me on my time visiting,” he said.
“When I walked in, we had about four or five Secret Service members come up to me and tell me, ‘You know, if you go up to that podium, we’re authorized to Tase you,’” he said.
“That’s all that was going through my head,” Kelce said in explaining his short speech.
“I had no idea President Biden was going to ask me to come up and let me have my moment … and he walks right up … gives me the floor, and I felt Taser aimed at me when I was up there the whole time,” he said.
Kelce noted that he was very proud of himself as he arrived this year, having come with an expired ID to the event last year.
“I made sure because of what happened last time and how embarrassed I was for going to the White House with an expired ID, I made sure that I brought my passport this time so that it showed that I was a citizen in Missouri.”
The Secret Service noted that all the tasing talk was all in fun.
“Our agents and officers were happy to support Travis and the Chiefs’ official visit to the White House, even presenting him with a Secret Service pin,” Secret Service representative Nathan Herring said, according to People.
“As for the Taser comment, Travis and our personnel were having some friendly banter as we have passionate football fans throughout our organization,” Herring said.
