Trump disinvites Superbowl Champs Philadelphia Eagles to WH a day before planned visit, Philly mayor responds
President Donald Trump may be willing to reschedule a meeting with wavering adversary Km Jong Un canceled but he canceled the Superbowl Champs Philadelphia Eagles' trip to the White House due to the entire team not being willing to show. The White House released a statement from the president announcing the cancellation just before 7:00 Monday evening. The ceremony honoring the Superbowl champs was to take place today. Fans are still invited to attend a ceremony that has been revamped a "Celebration of America." Trump stated:
The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. 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. The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better. These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony—one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem. I will be there at 3:00 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America.
Despite the response the president cited, the issue was turned into a dispute about disrespecting the National Anthem and kneeling on the field or staying in the locker room during the pledge. Torry Smith, who was a starting wide receiver when the Eagles won the Superbowl LII against the New England Patriots in 2017, said Trump is lying. Smith said last year that he would not go to the White House ceremony honoring the players and tweeted yesterday that not many players were going.
Jim Kenney, the Mayor of Philadelphia stood up for the hometown team and offered the use of City Hall for a celebration in the following statement, also released on Monday:
“The Eagles call the birthplace of our democracy home, so it’s no surprise that this team embodies everything that makes our country and our city great. Their athletic accomplishments on the field led to an historic victory this year. Fans all across the country rallied behind them because we like to root for the underdog and we feel joy when we see the underdogs finally win. I’m equally proud of the Eagles’ activism off the field. These are players who stand up for the causes they believe in and who contribute in meaningful ways to their community. They represent the diversity of our nation—a nation in which we are free to express our opinions.
“Disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend.
“City Hall is always open for a celebration.”
