When it comes to President Trump’s love for “winning,” the Philadelphia Eagles apparently aren’t up to his standards.
As various news outlets have reported, Trump disinvited the Super Bowl champs to a White House ceremony honoring their February win — all over the National Anthem protests that swept through the NFL. In a statement put out this Monday, Trump declared that the “Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow.”
“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 the statement. “The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”
The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018
Although the Eagles planned to take part in the White House tradition, several high profile players planned to skip the ceremony due to Trump’s (and his Vice President’s) opposition to the protests.
Trump’s statement was a clear attempt to drive a wedge between the team and their fans, and the move prompted Philadelphia’s Mayor Jim Kenney, who won his office with a whopping 85.1 percent of the vote, to release a statement of his own.
In the statement, Kenny said Trump is a “fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend.”
His chief of staff also chimed in on Twitter, poking fun at Trump’s obsession with crowd size.
Our party was bigger than yours #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/HIZk8xnJF1
— Jane Slusser (@janeslusser) June 5, 2018
The following is Mayor Kenney’s statement in its entirety:
The Eagles call the birthplace of our democracy home, so it’s no surprise that this team embodies everything that makes our country and our city great. Their athletic accomplishments on the field led to an historic victory this year. Fans all across the country rallied behind them because we like to root for the underdog and we feel joy when we see the underdogs finally win. I’m equally proud of the Eagles’ activism off the field. These are players who stand up for the causes they believe in and who contribute in meaningful ways to their community. They represent the diversity of our nation-a nation in which we are free to express our opinions.
Disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend.
City Hall is always open for a celebration.
Featured image via Flickr
