Washington • President Donald Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House late Monday, opening a new chapter in his culture war over National Football League players standing for the national anthem.
Less than 24 hours before the players were expected to arrive in the Rose Garden, Trump said he would celebrate with fans only because some members of the team were skipping the ceremony in protest of him.
“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,” Trump said in a statement, issued by the press secretary.
Instead, the president said he planned to celebrate with Eagles fans and the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus at the White House.
It is unclear how many fans will attend without the team present.
Aides said only a smaller group of Super Bowl champion players planned to attend, leading Trump to cancel instead of having a scaled-down or embarrassing ceremony. Kellyanne Conway, the presidential counselor and a diehard Eagles fan, was planning the event, according to two White House officials. She did not respond to a request for comment.
A representative for the Eagles could not be immediately reached for comment. A number of star players - including Chris Long and Malcolm Jenkins - had said they were uninterested in attending.
Trump has roiled the NFL by demanding that players stand for the national anthem, even as many have kneeled to protest police brutality. The president has become convinced it is a winning political issue, aides say, as he watched the league’s approval ratings drop - particularly among his supporters. The NFL said last month that players on the field for the national anthem would have to stand; those not interested in standing for the patriotic tune could stay in the locker room.
