June 5, 2018: Sports Teams Refusing to Visit the White House

 

6/5/18: The NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles are disinvited to the White House after it becomes clear only a handful of players wish to come. 

____________________ 

He’s a charlatan who wraps himself in the flag.

____________________ 

 

The president tries to bend facts to fit a false narrative. “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” he says in a statement. 

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.

 

The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better. These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony - one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem. I will be there at 3 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America.

 

This is news to Eagles players because they don’t disagree with Trump about wanting to “honor the great men and women of our military.”

Eagles players did kneel in prayer during the season.

Fox News had to apologize for using this photo to attack the team for "protesting."

 

They disagree because he’s a charlatan who wraps himself in the flag and tries to pretend that he never called players who were protesting against police brutality “sons of bitches.” NFL players don’t want to hang out with the man who says if they take a knee maybe they should get out of the country. No player on the Eagles knelt during the NFL season. They weren’t protesting before. Now they are. They don’t like Trump’s stomp-on-the-First Amendment stand. 

Sure, you can stand for the Anthem. 

You can also stand on principle. 

 

POSTSCRIPT: Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors make plain. No matter which team wins the 2018 NBA championship, “no one wants an invite” to the White House. 

Nobody on either team knelt before a game this year. They just don’t care to kneel to Mr. Trump.