President Trump on Sunday congratulated the Philadelphia Eagles for their win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
“Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on a great Super Bowl victory!” he tweeted.
At least three Eagles players – defensive end Chris Long, wide receiver Torrey Smith, and safety Malcolm Jenkins – said they will be skipping the traditional post-Super Bowl visit to the White House, largely due to the President's criticism of the league's national anthem protests.
Trump in a presidential message ahead of the big game called on Americans to honor the military and stand for the anthem.
No one on the field knelt or sat while pop star Pink sang "The Star Spangled Banner," the Associated Press reports.
After the anthem, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, "It’s that easy. Well done. #nationalanthem."
The Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether other Eagles will join the list of players planning to boycott the President.
At this point, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Several New England Patriots skipped the White House visit after their win in Super Bowl LI in 2017. Players who opted out of the visit included then-Patriot Chris Long and quarterback Tom Brady, a known friend of Trump. Unlike the other players, Brady cited "personal family matters" for having to miss the special occasion.
(Cover Photo: Flickr / Gage Skidmore)
Thank you for supporting MRCTV! As a tax-deductible, charitable organization, we rely on the support of our readers to keep us running! Keep MRCTV going with your gift here!