President Trump is congratulating the Clemson Tigers for winning the national championship ... because he's just announced that Dabo Swinney's football team will visit the White House next week, and it's a big win for the Prez.
POTUS announced Friday he's hosting the Tigers in our nation's capital Monday, the second time in three years Clemson will visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Dabo's squad also shook hands with Trump in June 2017 after winning it all.
I look forward to hosting, right out of the great State of South Carolina, the 2019 NCAA Football Champion Clemson Tigers at the White House on Monday, January 14th. What a game, what a coach, what a team!
Getting Clemson to the White House is huge for Trump. It's no longer an automatic for major sports champions to visit the President.
Remember, team visits to the White House became routine in the 1980s ... until the NBA champion Golden State Warriors started a trend last summer by making clear they wouldn't visit Trump.
The Philadelphia Eagles threatened to boycott the White House after winning last year's Super Bowl, and they never showed.
The Villanova Wildcats didn't visit the White House after winning last year's NCAA men's basketball tournament. Ditto for the NHL's Washington Capitals.
Like Clemson, the World Series champion Boston Red Sox accepted Trump's invitation, and pitcher Heath Hembree famously told us he f*cks with Trump. The Sox will visit sometime during the upcoming MLB season.
We're guessing Clemson's visit will keep Sen. Lindsey Graham in a great mood!