Philadelphia Eagles snubbed Trump in 2018. Amid a MAGA meltdown this year they may not get the chance again
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The Philadelphia Eagles skipped a visit to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory in 2018, choosing to snub then-President Donald Trump.
Snubbing Trump and other public acts of defiance were all the rage during his first term, but things have changed. Now, everyone from billionaire CEOs to Super Bowl champions are reportedly lining up to bend the knee.
According to sports reporting site Outkick, a source at the Eagles said the team “would be honored to visit the White House.”
“It’s one of the things we had looked forward to doing, and we look forward to receiving that information,” the source reportedly said.
The team declined the offer in 2018 over Trump’s opposition to players kneeling during the National Anthem, which was used at the time as a silent protest against police brutality, especially against minorities.
After learning that the team was planning to boycott the visit, the White House rescinded its invitation.
Even if the team wanted to run their 2018 play again, there’s no guarantee they’ll get the chance as the White House has yet to invite the Eagles for a celebration.
Rumors were reportedly swirling on social media that the Eagles had once again rejected their invitation, but Clay Travis, Outkick’s founder, said that the reports were “fake news” and that Eagles hadn’t yet received an invitation.
One of the people swept up in the rumor was none other than former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who now hosts a conservative podcast.
She said she rooted for the Eagles to beat the Kansas City Chiefs during this year’s Super Bowl, but became irate when she bought into the reports that the team was snubbing Trump again.
Another user who believed the rumors said they wish they hadn’t backed the Eagles, and Kelly agreed.
“SAME. GO F YOURSELVES EAGLES,” she wrote.
She said she jumped on the Eagles bandwagon because her husband, Doug Brunt, is a fan.
“But F this BS,” she said.
Kelly updated her X page on Monday, noting that the White House hadn’t sent out invitations and hoping that the reports of a snub were “fake news.”
The rumor appears to have been started by the US Sun, which earlier this month cited a “well-placed insider” who reportedly told the paper the team had decided to again decline an invite to the White House.
“We focus on the game for now, but if we win the Super Bowl, we wouldn’t go to the White House,” the source reportedly told the Sun at the time.
The paper also cited a current player who allegedly said that “pretty much everyone” on the team decided against taking the invitation, if it were offered.
“We represent a city and a state that is pushing for equal rights, respect, and values that respect every human being,” the player reportedly said. “We won’t forget what happened and the criticism we received for taking a stand against racism, and we won’t back down from our values of respect, integrity, and equality.”
These quotes — including the source cited by Outkick — are all attributed to anonymous individuals. They may be accurate and something may have changed since that report, or they may inaccurate.
All that’s known for sure is that the invites haven’t gone out yet, according to a White House official who spoke with the New York Post.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
