A decades-long tradition of the White House welcoming the season’s NFL championship team quickly turned political in the days leading up to the Philadelphia Eagles being honored by President Donald Trump on Monday. In the face of public scrutiny about quarterback Jalen Hurts, who did not attend the Eagles ceremony (among several others), and running back Saquon Barkley, who notably hung out with Trump the day before, the president was conciliatory of both players.
Despite speculation that Hurts and other teammates declined to attend the White House ceremony due to political opposition of the administration, President Trump praised Hurts as a “star quarterback” and “terrific guy and a terrific player.”
Trump was more flattering toward Saquon Barkley, whom he invited to ride with him on Air Force One on Sunday and played golf at the president’s New Jersey golf course. Barkley was front and center among the Eagles during Monday’s ceremony on the South Lawn where hundreds were gathered and theGrio was present.
“We loved being together. He’s a great young guy and an incredible football player,” Trump said of 28-year-old Barkley, who he said was a “great golfer,” but a “much better football player.”
Despite Trump’s congenial tone at the White House on Monday, Barkley continues to face backlash for going beyond the typical White House visit and choosing to spend extended time with the president. The football star sought to defend his decision in a post on X, explaining that he respects the office of the president, regardless of who occupies it.
“Lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” he posted. “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 ! …get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day,” wrote Barkley, who noted he also recently golfed with former President Barack Obama.
“In the current climate, given the amount of animus and vitriol and divisiveness of this last election cycle, and specifically what has happened in these first few months of the Trump administration, standing with or against the president is almost necessary to understand people’s ideals and values this president,” said Cameron Trimble, founder of Hip-Politics and a former Biden White House official.
Trimble told theGrio that while Saquon Barkley has a right to meet with the president, “This is not a time given the seriousness of all that is happening in politics and in this country, to where you can be willfully ignorant to what is going on.” He continued, “Politics aside, there are real-world implications, even in his city, the city of Philadelphia, being massively impacted, and so fraternizing and showing any kind of support or lending their platform to Trump, whether they realize it or not, [Trump’s] leveraging them to advance his agenda.”
The former Biden official said that Barkley risks alienating many fans if he continues to show support for Trump at a time when his administration is making massive cuts to federal spending that is impacting millions, including mass firings. Trimble said other actions like the “erasure of Black history” are particularly troubling.
“He is taking artifacts out of the Smithsonian, erasing the legacy of Black and [other] minorities, taking out any DEI-related words out of the lexicon of federal agencies…I think people feel that any association with him is seen as implicit or explicit support,” he explained.
As for Jalen Hurts, Trimble said it’s not surprising how the NFL star has handled his responsibility as a public figure and team leader.
“The quarterback is often seen as the most important position in sports and the leader of the team, and for him to stand up and have his moral compass not allow him to shed any light or give any of his platform to Trump, is admirable,” he said. However, while many may be praising Hurts, Trimble cautioned it could make him a “bigger target” amongst MAGA supporters.
Nonetheless, he noted that the country has a “rich history” of athletes “wading into politics” dating back to the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement.
“I applaud Jalen for having the courage to make a statement,” said Trimble.
