Michigan GOP Legislator Mocked For Calling Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team Arriving At Airport For March Madness Game ‘Illegal Invaders’

In a recent social media post, Michigan state Rep. Matt Maddock (R) falsely called the Gonzaga Men’s basketball team “illegal invaders” when he encountered them at Detroit Metro Airport.

Maddock took to X to share two photos of an Allegiant Air plane and buses and alleged that “illegal invaders” were being transported via buses from Detroit Metro Airport. He wrote, “Happening right now. Three buses just loaded up with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro. Anyone have any idea where they’re headed with their police escort?”

Maddock’s statement raised concerns as the reality was far from what he described – the buses he saw were, in fact, transportation for men’s college basketball teams.

The Wayne County Airport Authority, responsible for the Detroit Metro Airport, refuted Maddock’s claim and clarified that the buses were transportation for men’s college basketball teams and their staff who had arrived for the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 games at Little Caesars Arena. The only Allegiant Air flight to the airport on that day was a charter flight carrying the team from Gonzaga University, who were scheduled to face Purdue University on Friday.

Barrett Henderson, assistant athletic director for communications at Gonzaga University, confirmed that the team had flown on an Allegiant plane, landed at Detroit Metro Airport on the same evening as Maddock’s post and boarded the waiting buses.

The specific buses shown in Maddock’s photo were not identified, but it is evident that they were related to the basketball teams’ transportation.

An Allegiant spokesperson also confirmed that the charter flight that carried the Gonzaga team from Spokane, Washington, was the sole Allegiant flight to the Detroit airport on that day. This information aligns with data from online flight-tracking websites and further discredits Maddock’s claim.

Despite numerous social media users’ rebuts to his claim, Maddock persisted in his false narrative.

He dismissed those who pointed out the real purpose of the flights as “kommies” and continued to stand by his original statement. In a subsequent post, he maintained that “illegal immigrants” were entering the country in large numbers and that citizens would investigate the issue since he did not trust the media’s coverage.