Members of the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles visited the White House on Monday, presenting President Donald Trump with a personalized midnight green No. 47 jersey and a signed helmet inscribed with “M.A.G.A.,” his trademark slogan.
Trump, during an afternoon ceremony, heaped praise on star running back Saquon Barkley; described team official “Big Dom” DiSandro as a fan of his; and said the NFL should not ban the “tush push.”
The proceedings are sure to anger a significant contingent of Eagles faithful. Though championship teams have been welcomed by presidents for decades, the practice has become much more politically fraught in the era of Trump.
Hours before Trump heralded the Birds, his administration placed yard signs outside the White House with mugshots of undocumented immigrants accused of serious crimes. A short time after the Super Bowl ceremony, he was scheduled to sign an executive order targeting “sanctuary cities,” which could have repercussions for Philadelphia.
Though Trump carried Pennsylvania in last year’s general election, he received only about 20% of the more than 720,000 ballots case within city limits.
Barkley, in particular, drew the ire of some fans for spending time with Trump on Sunday at the latter’s New Jersey golf club. He joined Trump on Air Force One and Marine One, the president’s helicopter, en route to Washington, D.C.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Barkley wrote Monday morning: “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 😂.”
The post was shared by official White House social media accounts. Trump, during the event, said he previously told leaders of the New York Giants not to lose Barkley.
“I got to know him a bit,” Trump said. “I offered him a ride on Air Force One because I was coming down. Usually they say, ‘No, no, I don’t think so.’ He said, ‘I’ll take it, sir.’ And he loved it, and we loved being together.”
Earlier this month, Barkley shared a photograph from a J.P. Morgan summit, where he appeared alongside Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner.
Notably absent from the White House visit was quarterback Jalen Hurts. Administration officials said he and other players who did not attend the ceremony had “scheduling conflicts,” according to NBC News.
Hurts was involved in an awkward exchange last week at the Time100 gala in New York. When asked whether he would show up for the visit, he gave an “um” and remained silent before walking away.
Trump remarked that Hurts is a “terrific guy and a terrific player.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in early April that the visit was “optional.” Trump rescinded the team’s invitation in 2018 – amid a dispute over NFL athletes kneeling during the National Anthem in a protest for racial justice – after several players indicated they would not be attending the event.
“It’s truly an honor to be here,” Lurie said at Monday’s ceremony. “I remember as a little boy the championship teams that came to the White House. I never dreamed we’d be able to have a team and be as good as this.”
Players came out to a rendition of “Fly Eagles Fly,” and Trump was accompanied to the South Lawn by head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive lineman Lane Johnson. The president described the Eagles as an “incredible group of champions.”
Trump expressed his support of the Brotherly Shove, amid a push to ban the play. NFL owners could vote on a prohibition proposal as soon as next month.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for having us here, and we also appreciate the endorsement for the tush push,” Sirianni said. “We really appreciate that.”
Trump, at one point, called up DiSandro, the team’s longtime head of security who has taken on a variety of roles and gained a cult following among some fans. The president said, “They say he loves Trump. I had Saquon give him a big, beautiful hat last night because I’ve been hearing about this guy. He likes Trump.”
DiSandro made a brief comment that did not mention his political beliefs. “I’d just like to say thank you. We’re honored to be here,” Big Dom said. “Thank you President Trump, and that’s it. Go Birds.”
Offensive linemen Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson and defensive backs Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean were among the other players in attendance recognized by Trump.
A number of GOP elected and appointed leaders, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and Pennsylvania AG Dave Sunday, were in the crowd for the celebration.
