Malcolm Jenkins (27) and Brandon Graham (55) flank Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie during the National Anthem before an NFL game against the New York Giants on Sept. 24, 2017, in Philadelphia. | Matt Rourke/AP Photo Trump disinvites Philadelphia Eagles, Super Bowl champs, from White House

Facing a widespread boycott, President Donald Trump on Monday night disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles from an event at the White House, blasting the Super Bowl champions for not agreeing with his policy of standing for the national anthem.

It was a classic Trump move. Instead of risking an awkward moment in front of reporters and television cameras, Trump turned the tables, issuing a fiery statement that is certain to play well with his base and diminishes the chances of an embarrassment that would have dominated cable news.


“They disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House press office. “The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked players who choose to kneel or protest during the national anthem as unpatriotic, and applauded the decision by the NFL to fine teams for the upcoming season if any of their players refuse to stand during the anthem. Players can stay in the locker room, but if they are on the field they must stand. The NFL Players Association said the league did not consult the organization before implementing the policy.

Trump said that instead of welcoming the Eagles to the White House on Tuesday, he would hold a ceremony for the team’s fans that will “pay tribute to the heroes” in the nation’s military and “loudly and proudly play the National Anthem.” It’s not clear if Eagles fans will indeed show up for it.

By way of further explanation, he later tweeted: “Only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!“



Trump and his advisers believe the culture war they’ve incited over the national anthem is a hands-down political winner — and the president intends to continue hammering away at the issue heading into the midterms and his own reelection bid, according to people close to him.

“The politics of kneeling is part of why Trump won the White House,” said Andy Surabian, a former Trump White House aide. “Your average American — independent, Republican and even Democrat — doesn’t like the idea of people kneeling for the national anthem.”

White House aides have known for weeks that a number of Eagles players were unlikely to attend the event. Within days of the Eagles‘ Super Bowl victory, key players told reporters that they intended to skip the event, citing the president’s comments about women and minorities.

But the final decision to disinvite the team abruptly came on Monday evening, according to sources familiar with the planning.

Torrey Smith, a former Eagles wide receiver who has since been traded to the Carolina Panthers, said the decision to not go to the White House wasn’t about the national anthem. “It’s a cowardly act to cancel the celebration because the majority of the people don’t want to see you. To make it about the anthem is foolish,” he wrote on Twitter, adding in a separate tweet, “If you are going to tweet ... tweet facts...no one on the Eagles took a knee last season.”

Eagles players didn’t kneel during the anthem last season, though safety Malcolm Jenkins raised his fist during the anthem for much of the season, continuing a trend that began with the move by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to kneel as a way to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Other players supported Jenkins, and Chris Long, an Eagles defensive lineman, decided to donate his entire salary to educational charities after the violence surrounding white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year.

Jenkins said last month that the Trump administration's policies made it inappropriate to celebrate at the White House.

“There is so much that has been swirling around that administration,” he said, “I don’t see it as beneficial at this moment in time to visit in a celebratory fashion.”

The Eagles later released a statement that made no mention of Trump or the White House invite, adding they are looking forward to preparing for the 2018 season.

"It has been incredibly thrilling to celebrate our first Super Bowl Championship," the team wrote in a statement posted on its official Twitter account. "Watching the entire Eagles community come together has been an inspiration."

In response to Trump’s announcement, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, invited the team to visit Congress.

“I’m proud of what the @Eagles accomplished this year,” he wrote on Twitter. “I’m skipping this political stunt at the White House and just invited the Eagles to Congress. @Eagles How about a tour of the Capitol?”

The mayor of Philadelphia was even blunter. “Disinviting them from the White House,” Mayor Jim Kenney said, “only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size.”

The Eagles aren’t the first team to have its invitation withdrawn by Trump. In September 2017, the NBA champion Golden State Warriors were disinvited after star player Steph Curry said he opposed going to the White House. “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team,” Trump tweeted. “Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!“

