Will the Eagles visit the White House after Super Bowl win? They didn’t last time
The Philadelphia Eagles secured the coveted Super Bowl victory this week over the Kansas City Chiefs. But will the winning team make the customary visit to the White House to celebrate with President Trump? If history is any indication, probably not.
Not only did President Trump attend the game to root for Kansas City — lavishing praise on team quarterback Patrick Mahomes — but Trump and the Philadelphia team share a tense past.
The last time the Eagles scored a Super Bowl win was in 2018, during Trump’s first presidency. That year, across professional sport organizations, teams were embroiled in controversy over athletes choosing to kneel during the National Anthem in protest of systemic racism in America.
Trump was one of the most vocal critics against the protests, calling for athletes who did not stand during the anthem to be fired.
Because of his stance, a majority of the 2018 Eagles team planned to boycott the trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Rather than face being publicly snubbed, Trump disinvited the team altogether.
“The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House,” Trump wrote on X at the time. “Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event.”
The optics of a White House visit — or lack thereof — by either team, would paint a picture of the current dynamics of American politics.
The Super Bowl visit dates back to President Jimmy Carter’s administration and for decades had been viewed as a nonpartisan celebration of America’s favorite sport.
But the dynamics have changed in recent years. While it’s not unusual for a president to talk sports, Trump has bucked convention, publicly castigating players with whom he disagrees, while also adulating those whom he views as politically aligned with him.
Even Trump’s decision to travel to the New Orleans showdown showed the shift from conformity. He is the first sitting president to ever attend the big game.
And issues like NFL athletes kneeling during the National Anthem and Trump’s public response have highlighted how deeply partisanship has infiltrated even the most unifying of American pastimes.
The racial politics of a visit are also on display. In a league where an overwhelming majority of players are Black or minority, Trump’s comments have often been perceived as racist, creating static even between the players and league leadership.
Representatives for the Eagles did not respond to requests for comment on whether the team had been invited to the White House or whether they would accept such an invitation.
This is why Canada has plenty of eggs — and the U.S. doesn’t
While the U.S. grapples with an egg shortage caused by avian flu, eggs remain plentiful and affordable in Canada. There are reasons for that, including that egg farms there tend to be smaller.
‘Segregated facilities’ are no longer explicitly banned in federal contracts
The Trump administration cut a clause from federal contracting rules that had been on the books since the 1960s: Companies are no longer explicitly prohibited from having segregated facilities.
In the Missouri Ozarks, residents struggle to rebuild after tornadoes
Twisters that tore through Union County, Missouri killed 6 people. One couple survived against incomprehensible odds in a trailer obliterated by the storm.
Trump says he’s ending Secret Service protection for Biden’s adult children
President Trump said he was ending "immediately" the Secret Service protection details assigned to Democrat Joe Biden's adult children.
Israel launches deadly series of attacks on Gaza
Israel said the early Tuesday attacks were launched after Hamas refused to release more hostages held in Gaza. The strikes appeared to end the current ceasefire that took began in mid-January.
He lost his first LA Marathon medal in the fires — this weekend he got his second
15-year-old fire survivor Abel Rivera's home in Altadena burned down in January, and he lost everything — including his medal for finishing the 2024 LA Marathon.
