Travis Kelce Tries to Take the Podium as Kansas City Chiefs Celebrate Super Bowl Win at the White House

"I've been waiting for this," Kelce joked at President Joe Biden's podium, before Patrick Mahomes quickly pulled him away

The Kansas Chiefs touched down at the White House on Monday, where they met with President Joe Biden to celebrate their 2023 Super Bowl triumph.

The Super Bowl champions stood behind POTUS as he congratulated the team on their victory, though Biden admitted that his wife, first lady Dr. Jill Biden, was not happy with the Chiefs' win over her beloved Philadelphia Eagles. He commended the Chiefs on "dominating the league" this season and persevering when analysts doubted them.

Biden delivered individual compliments to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and head coach Andy Reid during his statement. Later, he honored the late Norma Hunt, whose husband Lamar founded the NFL team.

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Perseverance was largely a theme of Biden's speech on Monday. The president spoke highly of the Chiefs for "working together as a team" and striving to "bring out the best in each other" in their championship season. He compared the "power of sports" to the "power of this country," in its ability to "remind us who we are as Americans."

"We are the United States of America and there's nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together like these guys behind me," Biden said.

Reid spoke at the celebration on Monday, thanking the White House for excellent hospitality and (repeatedly) praising the food during the visit. The head coach thanked the organization's staff, coaches, and players for "a phenomenal job" this season, and Chiefs fans for their support of the team. "It's at home, it's on the road, you're the best fans in the business."

"I'm proud to be the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs," Reid said.

As Mahomes and Kelce joined Biden on stage for photos, Kelce made the audience laugh when he pretended to deliver a speech of his own at the podium. As Kelce began to say, "So, I've been waiting for this –," his pal Mahomes teasingly pulled him from the podium before he could continue.

Despite winning the Super Bowl three times in their history, the visit marked the first time that the franchise met with a sitting president and toured the White House. In 2020, the team’s visit was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. And the tradition had not yet been in place when the Chiefs won the Vince Lombardi trophy in 1970.

"It's been a long wait to stand before you," Reid said during his speech, referring to the 2020 cancellation. "We're fired up. We missed the first one due to COVID but we are here strong, man. Kansas City strong."

In social media posts throughout the afternoon, the team marked the big day.

Mahomes, wearing a sharp light-blue suit, posted a carousel of photos to his Instagram Story, including a selfie featuring the quarterback, Chad Henne and Skyy Moore posed along the steps outside the Rose Garden.

Related: Kansas City Chiefs Beat Philadelphia Eagles to Win 2023 Super Bowl

A separate post showed the team readying for their photo opp with the president, as Mahomes panned the camera to show the full extent of the Chiefs personnel, ending with a shot of pal Travis Kelce smiling in a red satin jacket and black t-shirt combo.

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The trip has been long anticipated for the team.

Last week on an episode of Kelce’s New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce, Travis said that he was psyched for the Washington, D.C. field trip.

“What are you most excited to see at the White House?” Jason, 35, asked his little brother.

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“I wanna see the hidden Oval Office,” Travis, 33, joked.

Related: Kansas City Chiefs Matriarch Norma Hunt Dies at 85, Patrick Mahomes Says She Was 'the Best'

According to Kansas City station KMBC TV, the team has brought along the Lombardi trophy, as well as a Chiefs jersey with the number 46 to present to the 46th president.

Sadly, the celebration comes just one day after the franchise suffered the loss of its matriarch Norma Hunt.

Hunt was the widow of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who died in 2006, and the mother of current Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.

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