First Lady Jill Biden had to walk back comments she made that suggested the White House should invite both the winners and losers of the NCAA Women’s basketball tournament.
The Women’s college basketball championships have concluded with Louisiana State University (LSU) defeating Iowa 102-85. Traditionally, the winning team is invited to the White House to meet the President and receive recognition for their victory. But in a comment regarding the tournament, the First Lady, who attended the game, suggested that Iowa should be invited to the White House even though they lost.
“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 I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”
First Lady Jill Biden
After these comments were made, LSU star player Angel Reese tweeted that Jill Biden’s comments were “a joke.”
The first lady’s press secretary attempted to walk back the statements that Jill Biden. Via Twitter, Press Secretary Vanessa Valdivia stated, “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 went on to state, “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.”
But LSU’s Angel Reese said she doesn’t accept the first lady’s apology.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not going to accept the apology,” Reese stated in an interview. “You can’t go back on certain things you say.”
Many people were bothered by the fact that the First Lady had invited a losing team to be celebrated at the same degree as the winning team. Some, even accused her of racism.
Numerous social media users said that Jill Biden invited the Iowa team to the White House because the LSU team is predominantly black, while the Iowa team is predominantly white. Bishop Talbert Swan, President of the Greater Springfield NAACP, tweeted out, “Jill Biden is a white woman. Of course she wants the president to invite the team of predominantly white women that lost when the winning team of Black woman come to the White House.”
Angel Reese has stated that neither she nor her team will be visiting the White House to celebrate their victory. However, LSU’s athletic department has said that they will still be accepting the invitation.
