After the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, one question has remained unanswered – will the Eagles visit the White House?
According to a report Sunday in The U.S. Sun, the United States version of the British tabloid, the Philadelphia Eagles have decided to skip the White House visit.
‘A source at the Eagles, who spoke anonymously, stressed that conversations about refusing a visit with President Donald Trump after beating the Kansas City Chiefs have already occurred,’ the outlet reported. The U.S. Sun said the response was a massive no.
Trump and the Eagles have a history dating back to the Birds’ first Super Bowl victory.
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Why 2017 Super Bowl champion Eagles didn’t visit Trump at the White House
Despite pulling off an upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, the Eagles’ visit to the White House was canceled.
‘The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,’ Trump said in a statement at the time. ‘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.’
In response, the Eagles released their own statement.
‘It has been incredibly thrilling to celebrate our first Super Bowl Championship,’ the statement read. ‘Watching the entire Eagles community come together has been an inspiration. We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received and we are looking forward to continuing our preparations for the 2018 season.’
The Eagles were scheduled to visit the White House on June 5 of that year, but players and staff members had conversations among themselves regarding how to handle the visit, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie decided to send a smaller contingent of fewer than 10 players, including Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, while other players were going to have an optional day at the team facility, Garafolo reported.
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NFC Championship diss by President Trump
In a post on his Truth Social, the president congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs after the team’s 32-29 over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game. Trump also praised the Bills on a “tremendous season.”
However, Trump didn’t mention the Eagles in the post or any other social media messages after a 55-23 drubbing of the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game.
President Trump picked the Chiefs to win Super Bowl
In a pregame interview with FOX News’ Bret Baier, Trump picked the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. He went with the Chiefs because of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Trump said he hated to pick a winner. But without naming Mahomes, he said after seeing him win as many games as he has, Trump had to pick Kansas City.
“The quarterback really knows how to win,” Trump said. “He’s a great, great quarterback.”
Bart Jansen contributed to this story.