Pat McAfee defies ESPN norms by hosting Trump — and executives can’t stop him



Like most major broadcast networks, ESPN isn’t known for being friendly to those with conservative beliefs.

But in honor of Veterans Day, Pat McAfee had President Donald Trump on his show to discuss the government shutdown, college football, and the NFL kickoff.

“I want you to picture McAfee calling Burke or Jimmy and saying, ‘Listen, White House just called,’ or ‘I have a contact there and they said I could have Trump on Veterans Day. Cool?' And they said, ‘No.’ Can you imagine them telling him no?” BlazeTV contributor and former ESPN host Sage Steele tells BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock.


“Like that’s not happening. It’s impossible. And Pat knows that, and he did right. There’s just no way in hell that that happens that they tell Pat no about anything,” she continues, noting that McAfee has also been “vocal, critical, about this fight between ESPN, Disney, and YouTube.”

“He’s saying whatever he wants. That man has no rules. And I think it’s hysterical because I’m picturing being a fly on the wall watching the executives melt down as this interview happened yesterday. But they could not tell him no,” she adds.

“ESPN needs that. They need someone that’s outside their control,” Whitlock comments.

“This helps them, in their minds, probably, balance things out a little bit, right?” Steele asks. “And say, ‘Yeah, we might be woke and idiots on pretty much every single topic. But we have McAfee over here talking to Donald Trump. So see? We’re not that bad.’”

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ESPN Star Tells Liberal Viewers To Stop Crying Over His Interview With Trump
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ESPN Star Tells Liberal Viewers To Stop Crying Over His Interview With Trump

'And, he's hilarious'

Is Pat McAfee hinting at an ESPN exit with cryptic X post?



On May 6, ESPN announced that veteran sports commentator Rich Eisen would reunite with the network as part of its "direct-to-consumer" platform. A few days later, ESPN host and analyst Pat McAfee posted the following cryptic message on X:

— (@)

Is Pat McAfee hinting that he’s being replaced at ESPN? Jason Whitlock and “Fearless” contributor Steve Kim explore the possibilities.

Steve thinks McAfee was never a great fit at ESPN anyway.

“I don't think he's ever fully assimilated to that whole culture. He's not politically correct. He seems to lean culturally, if not politically, a different direction than a lot of the colleagues over there,” he says. “He may be looking to basically be back to being independent or a little bit less confined or not have as many constraints on what he says.”

Jason agrees: “Maybe he gets to go independent with Spotify ... Netflix or Amazon ... some sort of mega deal where he can remove himself from all the Stephen A. Smith and racial blowback that I think goes on more behind the scenes than what we see in public.”

“I've noticed about Pat in the last year or so — he's not afraid to stick his nose into these conflicts and be a little bit of an instigator. He seems to have fun at it. If he's completely independent, oh, he could stoke a lot of fires,” adds Steve.

If McAfee is indeed interested in taking his brand in an independent direction, now is the time to do it, says Jason. “There's a level of raw, bold, politically incorrect conversation where audiences are going. ... I don't think you can participate in that conversation comfortably while at ESPN.”

But if he does jump ship and go in an independent direction, will he lose his audience?

Steve says it’s unlikely.

“I don't know if his audience would diminish that much in terms of his YouTube audience and his base subscribers. I think there's actually people that are upset that he went to ESPN that might come back now,” he says. We’re in the age of “the independent content creator,” and “Pat McAfee is going to be Pat McAfee with or without that four-letter network.”

However, Jason thinks of another scenario: What if Pat McAfee goes to Fox Sports?

To hear Jason's and Steve’s thoughts on this possibility, watch the episode above.

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'You booed us': Pat McAfee explains calling Canada a 'terrible' country after US national anthem booed at WWE event



ESPN host Pat McAfee is calling for a truce with Canadians after wrestling fans booed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a WWE event in Canada.

Boos chorused through the Rogers Centre in Toronto during the WWE event Elimination Chamber, as 30,000 or so Canadian fans continued their alignment with mainstream liberal pundits by booing the American national anthem. The jeers are in response to the tariffs and trade war between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump.

Fans reacted far worse to the U.S. national anthem on Saturday night than they had during any instance of the 4 Nations Face-Off where Team Canada and Team USA played each other in hockey in Montreal.

ESPN host McAfee, who is also a commentator for the WWE, reacted to the boos during a pre-match segment and called Canada "terrible."

"These are the most stacked [matches] that the WWE has ever had. Kind of sucks that it's in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing," McAfee said as he stood up in a comedic rage. "But it's gonna be a historic night for the WWE on the road to WrestleMania."

McAfee followed up on his remarks on Monday, hoping to come to an understanding with the very same Canadian fans who had booed the anthem.

'I called your country terrible ... let's shake hands.'

"There's been some things said to me from Canadians that I, I guess I respect because of the passion that you have for your country, which I hope you understand that I was showing the same for mine. You booed my country. Now, I heard from a lot of Canadians, during the national anthem, obviously, the Rogers Centre, overwhelming boo. I mean, very loud boo," McAfee recalled.

After explaining that his immediate gut reaction to anyone boing the American national anthem is "f*** you," the former NFL punter said a lot of Canadians had asked him to look into why they have been booing. McAfee explained he did not understand why when Canadians hear the U.S. national anthem, they immediately think of the government's decisions.

"I feel like anytime I think of Canada, I don't think of what Justin Trudeau does. I don't think immediately of Justin Trudeau's decisions. I don't think immediately of what Canada is doing in the political sphere. I think of the people of Canada," he said on "The Pat McAfee Show."

Rather, McAfee said he thinks of "poutine" and "magical times" at Canadian casinos.

"I think about loonies and toonies in good times, and Mounties allowing teenagers to puke in their streets because maybe we're a little bit overserved," the host laughed. "I don't think of Justin Trudeau."

Calling for a verbal ceasefire, McAfee concluded, "I called your country terrible ... let's shake hands."

Along with the recent international hockey tournament, Canadian crowds have trended toward booing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on frequent occasions. Similar instances occurred in Vancouver and Ottawa; Vancouver Canucks fans booed the U.S. national anthem before a game with the Detroit Red Wings in early February, as did Ottawa Senators fans before a game with the Minnesota Wild the next day.

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Jets told Aaron Rodgers he can't go on Pat McAfee's show if he stays on the team, reporter claims



New York Jets management allegedly told Aaron Rodgers that he would have stipulations around his media appearances if he were to return to the team for the 2025 season.

The news came from Dianna Russini, a former NFL analyst for ESPN now working for the Athletic, who said most of the candidates who were interviewing for the Jets' vacant head coach role planned on moving forward "without Aaron Rodgers" if they got the job.

This apparently included former Jets star Aaron Glenn, who was hired, and subsequently had conversations with Rodgers about what the team's future looked like.

According to Russini, Glenn told Rodgers, "If you're going to be part of this team, you're going to attend all [of] training camp, [and] you're not going to do Pat McAfee interviews anymore."

"The Pat McAfee Show" on ESPN is where Rodgers has made some of his most newsworthy remarks, including when he had a public feud with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Another example comes from December 2024, when Rodgers said journalists need to state whether they received a COVID-19 vaccine before they criticize him, so readers and viewers will know whether the media member was "captured" by COVID-19 propaganda.

'Every single person on this team is going to be treated the same way.'

Russini made the claim on her podcast "Scoop City" with co-host and Super Bowl champion Chase Daniel. Daniel immediately asked Russini to clarify who passed down the new requirements to Rodgers.

She reiterated, "The GM and the head coach when they had these conversations."

Russini claimed this was Glenn's way of taking back control of a team that Rodgers has largely been seen as driving. Rumors swirled throughout the 2024 season that Rodgers was responsible for the firing of former head coach Robert Saleh, but Rodgers denied he had any part of it.

The 42-year-old quarterback was also accused of deliberately mocking Jets ownership in order to get traded or cut from the team.

"Aaron Glenn ... that's the one pushing for, 'I'm holding everyone accountable and every single person on this team is going to be treated the same way,'" Russini said of the new coach's mindset.

Daniel said he wondered if Rodgers would have remained the Jets quarterback if he agreed to the supposed stipulations, but Russini claimed the franchise was going to try to move on from Rodgers no matter what happened.

Rodgers still has another year left on his three-year, $112.5 million contract with the Jets. It remains unclear if he will retire before or after the contract runs out. Neither Rodgers nor McAfee have publicly addressed the rumor.

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'What a s*** show': Pat McAfee torches his own network over 'terrible' ESPN top 100 athlete list



ESPN's top podcaster Pat McAfee criticized an ESPN list of top athletes as one of the worst things he has ever seen on the network.

The former NFL punter did not pull any punches when going after his own network's list of the best athletes since 2000.

The ranking of 100 athletes had only been partially released when McAfee started his show revealing his plans to trash the list:

"There is a top 100 list that is coming out from ESPN's people and I'll tell ya what, it is the epitome of everything that everybody hates about ESPN," McAfee stated. "What they chose to do about ranking the top 100 athletes of the 21st century ... what a s*** show."

"What an absolute, terrible list," the former player added, before saying he planned on blaming guest of the show and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky for the ESPN project.

'Is this the dumbest thing of all time?'

McAfee's contract with ESPN is a reported $85 million over five years, making him at least one of the highest paid personalities on the network. This hasn't stopped him from causing a stir on the Disney-owned channel, however. His frequent interviews with controversial quarterback Aaron Rodgers have been coupled with criticisms of network brass, with McAfee seldom shying away from expressing his views.

To his point, some of the obvious flubs on the list include placing A'ja Wilson, a 27-year-old WNBA champion at No. 90, ahead of Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers (91), Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez (92), and legendary soccer player Ronaldinho (94).

Furthermore, No. 56-ranked Spanish female soccer player Alexia Putellas was placed ahead of several soccer greats, including Zlatan Ibrahimović (95).

She was also shockingly far ahead of tennis legend Venus Williams (86), WNBA pioneers Candace Parker (60) and Lisa Leslie (74), and Jon Jones (66). Jones is a multi-weight UFC champion who is considered the greatest of all time by many, with only one loss coming from an illegal strike.

The list is sure to please almost no one with strange rankings of nearly unknown female basketball players, skiers, and even cricket players. Somehow, they are put in the same realm as athletes like Barry Bonds (38), Derek Jeter (53), and Alexander Ovechkin (54).

About 20 minutes into "The Pat McAfee Show," McAfee asked Orlovsky, who is now a notable analyst, how he felt about the attempt to make a definitive list like this.

"How do you feel about this list? Is this where you kind of sit it, and is this the dumbest thing of all time to kind of take the ideas of a slew of people and try to make it as if it's one person's concept?" McAfee asked.

ESPN's methodology basically consisted of "experts in individual sports" being asked to rank the top athletes in their sport since January 1, 2000. The rankings were then reevaluated by another "panel of experts."

Orlovksy responded by saying that the whole conversation surrounding a list of who is the top athlete, or, in particular, the top quarterback, needed to be "altered."

"I've been on this for I feel like a couple years now but certainly this offseason ... the whole top five/top 10 quarterback conversation probably needs to be altered," he remarked.

He went on to say that lists of this nature inevitably result in certain players being left off because the necessary parameters are not being considered.

Orlovsky went on to declare that the way the media talks about quarterbacks is unfair and overlooks some of the fundamental talents that make a good play-caller.

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Pat Tillman's mom rips ESPYs for naming Prince Harry as recipient of son's award, Pat McAfee says ESPN did it to 'piss people off'



The mother of fallen American hero Pat Tillman is "shocked" that the award named after her son would be given to Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.

The Pat Tillman Award for Service is an annual award given to an individual or group with a "strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman."

The award was established in 2014, ten years after Tillman died in combat in Afghanistan from friendly fire.

Tillman famously turned down a multi-year, multi-million NFL contract to enlist in the U.S. Army after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Recent recipients of the Pat Tillman Award include the Buffalo Bills Training Staff for reviving Damar Hamlin after he suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of a game (2023), retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans (2022), professional footballer Marcus Rashford (2021), and professional boxer Kim Clavel (2020).

On Thursday, ESPN announced that Prince Harry would be the recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

"In honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service, an award given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman," the press release stated. "After serving for 10 years in the British Armed Forces, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a forward air controller and Apache helicopter pilot, Prince Harry founded The Invictus Games Foundation, continuing his service by creating an international platform to support wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women – both active-duty and veterans – who are navigating both physical and invisible injuries."

Prince Harry will be presented the Pat Tillman Award at the 2024 ESPYs set to air on July 11.

Mary Tillman, the mother of Pat Tillman, was "shocked" that the award would be given to Prince Harry and said she was not consulted on the winner of her son's award.

Mary Tillman told the Daily Mail, "I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award."

She continued, "There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans. These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections, or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized."

Outspoken sports commentator Pat McAfee – who works at ESPN – was also dismayed by the selection and even ripped his own network.

McAfee said, "It's going to Prince Harry. Who I don’t even think is a Prince anymore, right? He said don’t call me that? See, why does the ESPYs do this s**t?"

"When you do something like this, you know the immediate reaction from humans and from sports fans and like people with like just common sense in brains," McAffe stated on "The Pat McAfee Show."

McAfee said that the decision to give Prince Harry the Pat Tillman Award had the intention of "trying to piss people off."

A petition has been launched to urge ESPN to "rethink" giving the Pat Tillman Award of Service to Prince Harry. At the time of publication, the petition had nearly 25,000 signatures.

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Stephen A. Smith says Pat McAfee doesn't have to be as 'politically polished' because he's white
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Stephen A. Smith says Pat McAfee doesn't have to be as 'politically polished' because he's white



Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith claimed that podcaster Pat McAfee did not need to be as well versed in politics as Smith because of his skin color.

Smith appeared on "Bussin' with the Boys," a podcast hosted by former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. Smith commented on the differences between being a a successful host on a show on "linear television" versus podcasting.

Lewan asked Smith about McAfee, who has had an extremely successful transition to ESPN with his less formulaic podcast, which hasn't been afraid to be controversial.

"You talked about being the man, number one for 12 years, and you see ESPN making a pivot to McAfee. Obviously great for the network. How do you in your mindset view a guy like McAfee, who is extremely good at his job in a lot of ways, is changing the course of mainstream media and all those things from a competitive standpoint? And also as a partner."

"I'm an aberration in this regard," Smith began. "I love Pat McAfee ... love him to death, love him to death. I love his swag. I love the fact that he's an honest brother. He don't give a s*** and lets you know exactly where he stands. That's my kind of dude, that works for me," Smith continued.

The broadcaster then alluded to the idea that because of McAfee's race, he didn't have the same necessity or requirement to be educated in politics as Smith does.

"Now, is he as polished politically as me? Nope, because he has no desire to be, number one. And number two, if we're being honest, he's white and I'm black. He didn't have to be, I had to be, so I get all of that and I'm not knocking him for it."

Smith added that he still roots for McAfee as a "pioneer" in the podcasting field, just as he roots for all his friends and competitors. At the same time, Smith said he wants to be at the top.

McAfee was at the center of controversy for most of 2023 when he had Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers on his show multiple times, showcasing a public feud with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Rodgers has frequently made statements against large pharmaceutical companies, throwing McAfee into high-profile debates in the media.

McAfee has explained, however, that his show was not very fond of being involved in "political wars and public beefs," adding that he and his fellow co-hosts will try to "avoid as many as possible" in the future.

"I'm not stupid enough to accuse you of that with absolutely zero concrete evidence."\n\nAaron Rodgers gives his side of the controversy with Jimmy Kimmel
— (@)

Smith has recently been rumored to be replacing host Kimmel on his show after the 56-year-old's latest contract expires.

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'I never said he’ll never be on the show again': Pat McAfee clears up Aaron Rodgers rumors after Jimmy Kimmel controversy



Popular podcast host Pat McAfee explained the real reason Aaron Rodgers will stop making weekly appearances on his podcast after accusations that he had suspended the NFL quarterback from his show due to controversial remarks.

Rodgers had been taking part in exchanges with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for the better part of a year since revelations about Jeffrey Epstein's client list surfaced.

In March 2023, Kimmel called Rodgers a tin foil hat-wearer and a "Green Bay wackpacker" for discussing the possible release of a list of names related to the Epstein child-trafficking scandal.

In early 2024, Kimmel threatened to sue Rodgers for comments he made once again regarding the Epstein list.

"There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are really hoping that doesn't come out," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show."

Kimmel responded on social media as if this was a direct accusation by Rodgers, despite him referencing the previous 2023 comments made by the host.

"Dear A***hole: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any 'list' other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality," Kimmel wrote on X.

Following the end of the 2023 NFL season, McAfee announced that Rodgers would no longer appear on his show for the time being and that he was happy to be avoiding any political controversy in the near future.

"So 'Aaron Rodgers Tuesday,' season 4 is done," McAfee said before clapping. "There are going to be a lot of people that happy with that, myself included to be honest."

Disappointed by McAfee\xe2\x80\x99s approach!\n\nDisney/ESPN won.\n\nAaron Rodgers suspended from "The Pat McAfee Show" after his comments on Jimmy Kimmel.\n\nMcAfee said he was "happy" Rodgers wouldn't be back on the show because of the drama it caused.
— (@)

This prompted a steady flow of articles that appeared to imply that McAfee (or parent company ESPN/Disney) had purposely pulled the plug on future appearances by the four-time NFL MVP.

CNN even made an anonymous claim that a "person familiar with the matter" said that cancellation of Rodgers' appearances was due to "his recent behavior, not the conclusion of the regular NFL season."

McAfee then made a lengthy post on X explaining that the reason was indeed the end of Rodgers' season, with his team the New York Jets failing to make the playoffs.

"Our fans know that ['Aaron Rodgers Tuesdays'] ends shortly after Aaron’s team’s season ends.. that’s how it’s been. He’ll make random surprise welcomed pop ins during big events or offseason adventures but, it’s always been a season thing. I never said he’ll never be on the show again. I hope he chooses to still chat with us."

McAfee went on explain that his show was not very fond of being involved in "political wars and public beefs," adding that he and his fellow co-hosts will try to "avoid as many as possible" in the future.

A lot of you are talking very wild about me and our progrum.. I assume you are very new to us.\n\nWe are a sports show that tries to inform folks of what\xe2\x80\x99s going on and have a good time with good vibes\xe2\x80\xa6 Everyday.\n\nWe do not bat 1000 but we feel as if we do make solid contact A\xe2\x80\xa6
— (@)

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9 Truths From Aaron Rodgers’ Explosive Vaxx Interview You Aren’t Allowed To Say
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9 Truths From Aaron Rodgers’ Explosive Vaxx Interview You Aren’t Allowed To Say

You don't have to like Aaron Rodgers to pump your fist when he drops COVID truth bombs on a hit sports talk show.