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Pat McAfee is doubling down in the defense of his Donald Trump interview.
On Veterans Day, Trump made a surprise appearance on the Pat McAfee show, while McAfee was in Parris Island, South Carolina.
“I’m only joining you because I hear you say such nice things about me.” Trump told McAfee. “When people say nice about me, I join. When they don’t say nice about me, I take a pass.”
Trump to Pat McAfee: “I’m only joining you because I hear you say such nice things about me. When people say nice about me, I join. When they don’t say nice about me, I take a pass.” pic.twitter.com/PKTQy2Qbjg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 11, 2025
After getting criticized, McAfee initially defended himself by saying that interviewing Trump on Veterans Day was a no-brainer.
“For the immediate people that are mad – it’s the president of the United States. It’s Veterans Day. He’s the Commander-in-Chief. Obviously, if we have the opportunity to talk to him, we’re going to!”
“And he is HILARIOUS!”
On Wednesday, McAfee doubled down and said that if you criticize him for interviewing Trump on Veterans Day “hate the troops.”
“In my eyes, he’s the leader of the military, and we were celebrating the hell out of Veterans Day,” McAfee said. “There are people that are certainly not the most happy that that happened. But what I would like to say, every veteran and military person that I talked to was very grateful and thankful that we spotlighted the heroes of America who walk amongst us, who are willing to sign a line and go for the United States of America as opposed to anything else.
“So if you’re against what happened yesterday, I would like to say, you hate the troops. And you should go ahead and swallow that and you can take that to where you want to go.”
Pat McAfee fires back at liberals upset that he had President Trump on his Veterans Day show on ESPN at Parris Island 🔥
“In my eyes, he’s the leader of the military, and we were celebrating the hell out of Veterans Day… So if you’re against what happened yesterday, I would… pic.twitter.com/kXPHx5Svj6
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) November 12, 2025