With the Philadelphia Eagles visiting the White House today — a tradition for the team that wins the Super Bowl — all eyes are on how certain players will approach the ceremony, especially considering some, like Jalen Hurts, have previously expressed political differences with President Donald Trump.
Amid the attention, Saquon Barkley faced criticism for attending a golf event alongside the former president and responded by addressing the backlash on his X account.
Saquon Barkley Deflects Criticism Over Ties to Donald Trump
Each year, the Super Bowl champion is invited to the White House to be honored by the president. Historically, this tradition transcends political affiliations and focuses more on the ceremonial recognition of the team’s achievement.
Still, Trump has sparked criticism on social media toward players seen close to him, including Barkley, who was spotted golfing with the former president. Barkley addressed the backlash on his X account and pushed back against the criticism.
lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my…
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) April 28, 2025
“lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day,” he wrote.
The player’s response sparked mixed reactions, with some fans supporting his decision to remain neutral regarding the president, while others criticized him for not understanding the broader political landscape of the country.
In 2018, after defeating the New England Patriots, the Eagles were invited to the White House, but several players declined to attend due to Trump’s comments about protests during the national anthem — protests led by Colin Kaepernick and widely supported by players across the league.
Following the controversy, the invitation was rescinded, and the ceremony was canceled. This season, ahead of the team’s new visit, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie addressed the 2018 situation during the NFL owners meeting.
“We just felt that this is a time-honored tradition, being invited by the White House,” Lurie said. “There was no reticence whatsoever. To be celebrated at the White House is a good thing. There were special circumstances back then that were very different. This was kind of an obvious choice. Look forward to it… We didn’t have that opportunity (last time) and now we do, and I think we’re all looking forward to it.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts is publicly known for disagreeing with Trump’s political views and recently avoided answering a direct question from a reporter on the topic. His attendance remains uncertain, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ultimately decided not to participate in the visit.