New England Patriots safety Duron Harmon is planning to buck tradition and forego a visit to the White House after his team beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl this Sunday.
Speaking to TMZ this Sunday night, Harmon was asked if he’ll make the trip to D.C.
“Nah, man,” Harmon said. “They don’t want me in the White House.”
The tradition of winning football teams visiting the White House has hit a few speed bumps during Donald Trump‘s presidency. Last year, Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles after nearly all the coaches and players announced a boycott of the White House in response to Trump’s attacks on players who chose to kneel during the National Anthem.
The White House snubs have migrated over to other sports as well. Last month before a game against the Washington Wizards in D.C., the Golden State Warriors ditched Trump and visited with former President Barack Obama instead. A reporter for The Mercury News posted a photo to Twitter showing the team smiling for the camera while surroundingObama.
Trump denied the team a visit to the White House back in 2017 when player Stephen Curry, a vocal critic of Trump, announced that he wouldn’t attend in the first place. The team chose to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture with a group of students instead.
“Athletes in general, especially in the NBA, guys are educated. They know what they’re talking about,” Curry said, according to The Washington Post. “They know what they believe. And there’s a reason when you say something there are headlines. People want to hear what you have to say. We shouldn’t shy away from it.
Speaking to TMZ this Sunday, Harmon said he wouldn’t mind visiting with Obama like the Warriors did.
“Hey, Obama, come holler at me, man,” Harmon said. “We love you over here.”
Featured image via screen grab/NESN
