The Philadelphia Eagles have now won two Super Bowls in seven years- but if a new report is to be believed, neither championship will have been followed by the customary White House visit.
The Eagles won their first-ever Super Bowl after the 2017 season, during Donald Trump’s first term. While it had first been planned for the team to visit the White House that June, the White House canceled the visit, after many players on the team made it clear that they didn’t wish to take part. “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 tweet at the time.
Now, the Eagles have won the championship again, and Trump was in attendance for the game, becoming the first president ever to attend a Super Bowl. Trump was widely believed at the time to be rooting for the Chiefs, in part because the ownership of Kansas City is supportive of his, while Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is a supporter of Democrats.
Only four players are remaining on the Eagles from the first Super Bowl team, and one of them, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, had said after the win that whether the team went to the White House would be subject to a “team vote.” And according to one report, the Eagles have opted not to make the White House visit.
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) February 23, 2025
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
The U.S. Sun reported on February 9 that discussions between players and management resulted in a “massive no” on whether to go to the White House. The U.S. Sun cited an anonymous “source at the Eagles.”
It should be noted, however, that the U.S. Sun story was published right before the Super Bowl and updated right after. It has gone viral recently after being shared by Eagles fan accounts. As of Monday morning, the news had not been confirmed by any local reporters who cover the Eagles. That said, in most cases, plans for a Super Bowl visit are firmed up relatively quickly, and that has not happened in this instance.
“We represent a city and a state that is pushing for equal rights, respect, and values that respect every human being,” an anonymous “Eagles star” told the publication. “We won’t forget what happened and the criticism we received for taking a stand against racism, and we won’t back down from our values of respect, integrity, and equality.”
Not many Eagles have spoken out about political matters in the last couple of years, although it is known that running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Lurie joined former President Barack Obama for a round of golf in October, although because Hurts is contractually forbidden from golfing he merely walked the course with the others.
Sports teams debating whether to go to the White House and disputes over who had declined the invitation were a staple of Trump’s first term. One led to LeBron James’ famous “U Bum” tweet in 2017.
U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017
However, this is the first such controversy surrounding Trump’s second term.
Photo courtesy of Political Tribune media library.
