Jill Colvin and Jonthan Lemire | Associated Press

Washington – After President Donald Trump canceled Tuesday’s salute to the NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles, the White House accused the players of abandoning their fans because many had said they wouldn’t show up. Trump quickly scheduled a “Celebration of America” with military bands in the event’s place as he stoked fresh controversy over players who protest racial injustice by taking a knee during the national anthem.

Fuming over the risk of a low Eagles’ turnout, Trump late Monday announced the usual Super Bowl celebration was off.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the team had notified the White House last Thursday that 81 members, including players, coaches and managers would be attending. But she said the team got back in touch late Friday and tried to reschedule, “citing the fact that many players would not be in attendance.” They proposed a time when Trump would be overseas.

Sanders said the White House continued to work with the team over the weekend, but in the end, “the Eagles offered to send only a tiny handful of representatives, while making clear that the great majority of players would not attend the event.”

“In other words,” she added, “the vast majority of the Eagles team decided to abandon their fans.” She later called it a “political stunt.”

Eagles officials declined immediate comment on the White House version of events. An earlier team statement said, “Watching the entire Eagles community come together has been an inspiration. We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received and we are looking forward to continuing our preparations for the 2018 season.”

Fewer than 10 Eagles players planned to attend the White House ceremony, according to a team official familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

Trump had originally said the event had been scrapped because some Eagles players “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” – even though none of the Super Bowl champion Eagles had taken a knee during the anthem in 2017.

“We will proudly be playing the National Anthem and other wonderful music celebrating our Country today at 3 P.M., The White House, with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus. Honoring America! NFL, no escaping to Locker Rooms!” he tweeted.

That was a challenge to a new NFL policy intended to quell the controversy surrounding the protests that began in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began silently kneeling on the sidelines during the anthem. Kaepernick’s protest was intended to raise awareness around racism and, specifically, the killing of black men by police.

The policy announced last month requires players protesting racial injustice to stand if they’re on the field during the national anthem or else stay in the locker room. Trump tweeted that, “Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!”

The National Football League Players Association, the union representing NFL players, said in a statement that it was disappointed by the decision to disinvite the players and said the reversal had led to the cancellation of several community service events for young people in the Washington area.

“NFL players love their country, support our troops, give back to their communities and strive to make America a better place,” it said in a statement.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on Tuesday suggested it was Trump’s patriotism that should be questioned.

“When he had the opportunity to serve his country for real, his father got him out of it, and I think it’s really disingenuous for him to talk about patriotism in any way shape or form,” Kenney told CNN, referring to military draft deferments Trump obtained that kept him out of the service during the Vietnam War.

Trump had been leery of the Eagles’ planned visit to the White House for some time because the team’s owner, Jeffrey Lurie, has been a Trump critic and several of players have been outspoken against the anthem policy, according to an outside confidant and a White House official not authorized to discuss internal conversations publicly.

Trump was furious when he learned how few Eagles planned to attend Tuesday’s event, and ordered aides to scrap the visit, believing a low turnout would reflect poorly on him. He had told aides last year that he was embarrassed when Tom Brady, the star quarterback of that season’s champion New England Patriots, opted to skip a White House visit.

Trump instead ordered that Tuesday’s event be turned into a “celebration of America” that would highlight his anthem stance. Senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, an Eagles fan, was helping organize the event.

It was another sign that Trump intends to continue to fan a culture war he has stoked and which he has long believed is a winning issue with his base.

Trump has long fixated on the NFL national anthem controversy and was pleased when last month’s announcement of the league’s new policy returned it to the news. He believes there is a significant overlap between football fans and his base and has told confidants that he believes his voters would enthusiastically take his side over football players whom Trump thinks have looked unpatriotic and greedy.

The president told one confidant Monday that he aimed to periodically revive the anthem issue in the months ahead, believing its return to the headlines would help Republicans as the midterm elections approached.

But Trump’s attempt to drive a wedge between the team and its famously fervent fan base could have political consequences in swing state Pennsylvania, which Trump won by just 44,000 votes in 2016.

The politics were already playing out in the state’s Senate race, where Republican Rep. Lou Barletta is challenging Democrat Bob Casey.

Barletta announced that he would be attending the White House ceremony sans Eagles, “representing the proud Pennsylvanians who stand for our flag.” Casey tweeted Monday night that he would be “skipping this political stunt at the White House” and invited the Eagles on a tour of the Capitol instead.

G. Terry Madonna, an expert in Pennsylvania politics at Franklin and Marshall College, said he thought the president had made a mistake and that the cancellation was “a missed opportunity” for Trump to praise the team and even share his views on the anthem controversy.

And while 2020 is a long way away, he said, “I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s not going to be helpful to him politically in this state.”

Sanders said the change-of-program was “not meant to be a slight to anyone.”</s>The Philadelphia Eagles, current Super Bowl champions, are no longer scheduled for a visit to the White House, as President Donald Trump announced on Monday, June 4. Trump cited a difference of opinion when it comes to the national anthem as a reason for retracting the invitation.

There is also the matter of who's going, as well. According to a statement by Trump, the Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, a decision that did not satisfy the president.

"The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow," the statement said, as quoted by CNN.

"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," Trump stated.

It would not be the first time a major U.S. sports team has dropped plans to pay a visit to the White House after a championship win. Current NBA defending champions Golden State Warriors have earlier excused themselves from visiting the White House after winning the 2017 finals, but this would be the first time the president canceled the invite first.

It has been a tradition for the current president to invite champions of not just major U.S. professional leagues, but also college sports teams and athletes to the White House.

Aside from the statement, Trump also has something to add as he took to social media to confirm the cancellation of the visit. Aside from noting that the Eagles planned to send "only a small number" of players to the visit, Trump also had something else to say about a new NFL policy.

"Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!" he wrote. The NFL has just put into effect a new policy that would fine club owners if their team or personnel did not stand and pay respect during the National Anthem on the field.

The new policy, however, also leaves room for players who would choose not to pay respect for the anthem to stay in the locker room or "in a similar location off the field" until after the National Anthem has been performed.

Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia immediately came out with a statement slamming the president's decision to disinvite the Eagles from the White House as part of their Super Bowl celebrations.

"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," Kenney said, adding that the Philadelphia City Hall is always open to the Eagles.</s>WASHINGTON — The Philadelphia Eagles’ White House visit has been canceled due to the controversy over standing for the national anthem at NFL games, President Donald Trump announced Monday.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Trump said 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.”

Trump said in the statement that the fans are still welcome to come and partake in a “different kind 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,” he said.

Trump said he will be at the ceremony alongside the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus at 3 p.m. Tuesday to “celebrate America.”

The NFL recently announced a new policy requiring players to stand for the anthem if they’re on the field before a game. Trump had suggested players who kneel be fired.</s>The Eagles' White House visit as Super Bowl champions was canceled several months after the 2016-17 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors, were similarly disinvited by the president.

The Philadelphia Eagles will not be visiting the White House to celebrate their victory at this year’s Super Bowl, President Donald Trump confirmed earlier on Monday.

In a statement quoted by CNN, Trump explained the reasons why he decided to disinvite the Eagles from the customary White House visit extended to championship teams from major U.S. sports leagues each year. He added that he went through with his decision even as the Eagles were planning to send a “smaller delegation” of players.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Trump said 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.”

With the Philadelphia Eagles’ White House visit officially canceled, Trump added in his statement that fans who were interested in seeing the past year’s NFL champions could still visit and take part in an alternative ceremony, one which the president said “will honor our great country,” as well as the “heroes who fight to protect it.” This ceremony, Trump added, would feature the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus “loudly and proudly” playing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to TMZ, the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to visit the White House on Tuesday, but with several team mainstays skipping the ceremony in protest of the president’s negative comments about NFL players and other athletes who choose to kneel during the singing of the national anthem.

As reported by the Inquisitr last month, defensive end Chris Long was one of the more prominent Eagles who turned down Donald Trump’s White House invitation, just as he did the previous year when he was playing for the Super Bowl LI-winning New England Patriots. Safety Malcolm Jenkins also cited his criticism of Trump and his administration as a reason for choosing not to attend the ceremonies, and was previously quoted as saying that he is “passionate” about not visiting the White House. A third player, Torrey Smith, also made his intention to skip the White House visit public before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in March.

CNN‘s report likewise described the Eagles as being among the NFL’s most outspoken “social justice activist” teams, due to the number of players who joined the wave of national anthem protests that started when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner” in the 2016 NFL season.

The cancellation of the Philadelphia Eagles’ White House visit marks the second time in one year that Trump has disinvited a major U.S. sports team due to some members rejecting the invitation, or even just hesitating to attend the festivities. In September 2017, the president canceled the Golden State Warriors’ scheduled visit as NBA champions, due to what he saw as “hesitation” on superstar guard Stephen Curry’s part, according to a report from CBS Sports.</s>President Donald Trump on Monday night disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles from joining him at the White House, blasting members of the Super Bowl champions for not agreeing with his policy of standing for the national anthem.

“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 released by the White House press office. “The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked players who choose to kneel or protest during the national anthem as unpatriotic, and applauded the decision by the NFL to fine teams for the upcoming season if any of their players refuse to stand during the anthem. Players can stay in the locker room, but if they are on the field they must stand. The NFL Players Association said the league did not consult the organization before implementing the policy.

Trump said that instead of welcoming the Eagles to the White House on Tuesday, he would hold a ceremony for the team’s fans that will “pay tribute to the heroes” in the nation’s military and “loudly and proudly play the National Anthem.”

Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins raised his fist during the anthem for much of the 2017 season, continuing a trend that began with the move by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has since left the team, to kneel during the anthem as a way to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Chris Long, an Eagles defensive lineman, decided to donate his entire salary to educational charities after the violence surrounding white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year.

Jenkins said last month that the Trump administration's policies made it inappropriate to celebrate at the White House.

“There is so much that has been swirling around that administration,” he said, “I don’t see it as beneficial at this moment in time to visit in a celebratory fashion.”</s>The Philadelphia Eagles pulled off a stunning Super Bowl victory back in February and, in customary fashion, a visit to the White House was scheduled for the champions of the NFL. However, the visit, set for Tuesday, June 5, will no longer be taking place, as the White House released a statement from President Donald Trump canceling the event.

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. 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 3:00 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America.

As noted in the release, members of the Eagles were seemingly set to skip the trip as a result of disagreements with the White House, particularly over the issue of the National Anthem. In late May, the NFL announced a new policy surrounding the anthem and it was highly controversial, including the fact that the NFLPA was not consulted during the process.

It is odd that “1,000 fans” would attend an event that no longer includes their favorite team and fallout from this decision on behalf of President Trump will be interesting to monitor. For now, this will almost certainly add fuel to the fire when considering the conversation surrounding anthem protests and members of the Eagles organization could weigh in on the decision in the near future.</s>President Donald Trump released a statement about the Philadelphia Eagles' planned visit to the White House on Tuesday, uninviting the Super Bowl champions on Monday evening. Time</s>(CNN) — The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles’ White House visit has been canceled due to the controversy over standing for the National Anthem at NFL games, President Donald Trump announced Monday.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Trump said 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.”

It’s an unprecedented move by Trump. The NBA champion Golden State Warriors declined an invitation from the President to visit the White House after winning the 2017 championship, but presidents typically honor their invitations to championship teams. Players also have refused those invitations in the past — Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas declined to visit the White House in 2012 over disagreements with President Barack Obama’s policies.

The President typically invites the champions of major professional and college sports to the White House for a visit as a part of their victory celebrations.

Last month, the NFL announced it would require athletes to stand during the National Anthem in response to players who took a knee as protest to what some players see as the systemic oppression of people of color, including by police.

The movement was initially started by Colin Kaepernick, who was formerly with the San Francisco 49ers. He drew national attention for refusing to stand during “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to kickoff.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in August 2016.

Trump has repeatedly criticized players for not standing for the anthem and has gone as far as to say team owners should fire players for doing so.

The new NFL policy gives players the option of remaining in the locker room during the playing of the anthem if they do not wish to comply.

Trump later tweeted, “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!” The Eagles have not stayed in the locker room as a means of protesting the anthem.

Players on the Eagles are some of the most outspoken social justice activists in the NFL, and multiple players took part in the protests during the anthem over the last two seasons. Many players from the team were not planning on attending the ceremony as a protest of Trump, his policies and his outspoken criticism of players who chose to kneel during the anthem.

The Eagles were originally invited to the White House after their win in February’s Super Bowl over the New England Patriots. It was the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

In response to Trump’s announcement, former Eagles receiver Torrey Smith, who was a member of the championship team and was traded during the off-season, called the move “a cowardly act.”

“So many lies smh Here are some facts 1. Not many people were going to go 2. No one refused to go simply because Trump ‘insists’ folks stand for the anthem 3. The President continues to spread the false narrative that players are anti military,” he said in one tweet.

Smith continued: “There are a lot of people on the team that have plenty of different views. The men and women that wanted to go should’ve been able to go. It’s a cowardly act to cancel the celebration because the majority of the people don’t want to see you. To make it about the anthem is foolish.”

One player who spoke to CNN said the team had multiple meetings to discuss the invitation to the White House. Not many players wanted to go, the player said.

“The number was low,” he said.

But the issue Trump brought to the fore — players kneeling during the National Anthem — was not one of the team’s chief concerns. The player said the issue was never mentioned in the meetings.

A separate NFL source said none of the players on the Eagles team that won the Super Bowl took a knee during the anthem during the regular season — one player took a knee in the preseason but was cut before the regular season began. Safety Malcolm Jenkins raised his fist during the anthem to protest racial injustice before some games, but he stopped when the NFL pledged to make a $100 million donation to various charities in November.

Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said he’s skipping the White House event, and instead invited the team to take a tour of the US Capitol.

“I’m proud of what the @Eagles accomplished this year. I’m skipping this political stunt at the White House and just invited the Eagles to Congress. @Eagles How about a tour of the Capitol?” Casey wrote on Twitter.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement, where he said Trump’s decision “proves that our President is not a true patriot.”

“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,” Kenney said.

“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,” he later said in the statement.

“City Hall is always open for a celebration,” he added.

Trump said in Monday’s statement that the fans are still welcome to come and partake in a “different kind 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,” he said.

White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short told CNN’s Erin Burnett he was unsure who canceled on whom.

“It’s unfortunate when politics gets in the middle of this,” Short said.

Trump said he will be at the ceremony alongside the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus at 3 p.m. Tuesday to “celebrate America.”</s>Donald Trump has disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles, the Super Bowl winner, from a planned White House celebration, the latest clash in his battle with American athletes over the national anthem.

The football team was “unable to come to the White House” on Tuesday, he said in a statement released late Monday night, adding: “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’s announcement came after some players had already said they planned to shun the White House visit. Three of those players – safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive end Chris Long and receiver Torrey Smith – are part of a group that publicly supported Colin Kaepernick, the NFL player who kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial inequality.

Trump’s statement continued: “The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.” The president said the fans were 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.”

The Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey, a Democrat, said he planned to skip the White House ceremony and instead invited the players to tour Congress.

“I’m proud of what the @Eagles accomplished this year. I’m skipping this political stunt at the White House and just invited the Eagles to Congress. @Eagles How about a tour of the Capitol?,” Casey said on Twitter.

Trump’s announcement came two weeks after NFL owners issued controversial guidelines saying teams would be fined if their players did not show appropriate “respect” for the national anthem. The policy sparked immediate backlash, though Trump celebrated the rules as a victory, saying if someone fails to stand for the anthem, “maybe you shouldn’t be in the country”.

Last year, Trump rescinded an invitation for the NBA-champion Golden State Warriors to visit the White House, ending a tradition that dated back several decades. The leveland Cavaliers star forward LeBron James famously called the president a “bum” at the time, tweeting: “Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”

The president previously criticized the protests – meant to raise awareness about racism and police brutality in America – by saying: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now.’”</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Digging deeper into a culture war that he’s repeatedly stoked, President Donald Trump called off a visit to the White House by the Philadelphia Eagles, citing the dispute over whether NFL players protesting racial injustice must stand during the playing of the national anthem.

Trump said in a statement Monday that some members of the Super Bowl championship team “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.”

He said the team wanted to send a smaller delegation Tuesday, but “the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”

Instead, Trump said he would be hosting “a different type of ceremony,” featuring the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Army Chorus, that “will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem.”

None of the Eagles took a knee during the anthem in 2017.

One of the people set to attend the ceremony told The Associated Press less than half of the team’s 53-man roster planned to go. The person spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the decision.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney replied with his own statement, saying that he is “equally proud of the Eagles’ activism off the field” and that the players “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,” Kenney said.

Last week, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said he would not attend the ceremony because he didn’t want to be part of a photo op and wanted “to avoid being used as any kind of pawn.” In addition to Jenkins, defensive end Chris Long was the most outspoken player against going. Quarterback Carson Wentz had planned to attend.

It was unclear exactly what prompted the change of plans. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about what had sparked the decision and why the circumstances were different from other events honoring winning teams, which some players have boycotted.

Late Monday, though, Trump wrote on Twitter that “Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event.”

Several players asked about Trump’s decision not to host them declined to respond. The Eagles issued a statement without directly addressing the White House cancellation.

“Watching the entire Eagles community come together has been an inspiration,” the team statement read. “We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received and we are looking forward to continuing our preparations for the 2018 season.”

Wide receiver Torrey Smith, who said previously that he planned to skip the visit, responded with a series of tweets.

“So many lies,” he wrote, adding, “Not many people were going to go.”

Smith, who played on the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia team before being traded to the Carolina Panthers in March, added: “No one refused to go simply because Trump ‘insists’ folks stand for the anthem. … The President continues to spread the false narrative that players are anti military.”

He went on: “There are a lot of people on the team that have plenty of different views. The men and women that wanted to go should’ve been able to go. It’s a cowardly act to cancel the celebration because the majority of the people don’t want to see you. To make it about the anthem is foolish.”

The announcement was the latest signal that tensions remain high around the NFL protests that began in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began silently kneeling on the sidelines while the anthem played. Kaepernick’s protest was an effort to raise awareness around systemic racism and, specifically, the killing of black men by police.

He was soon joined by teammate Eric Reid. Both Reid and Kaepernick have filed grievances against the NFL and remain unsigned since their contracts with the 49ers expired.

Last season, Vice President Mike Pence left the 49ers game against the Indianapolis Colts after about a dozen San Francisco players took a knee during the anthem. Pence, who left before kickoff, tweeted soon afterward, “I left today’s Colts game becaue @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.”

Trump has repeatedly decried the players’ protest, referring to them as “sons of bitches” who should be fired at a rally for supporters in Alabama last year. Last month, the NFL announced a new policy – praised on Twitter by both Trump and Pence – requiring players to stand for the anthem if they’re on the field before a game.

After the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2017, several players declined to attend the White House ceremony honoring their team last August, citing their differences with the president. In February, the Golden State Warriors declined to attend the White House ceremony honoring their 2017 NBA Championship, instead using their trip to Washington to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

During an interview after the new NFL policy was announced, Trump praised the league for doing “the right thing.”

“You have to stand proudly for the national anthem,” Trump said. Or “you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe they shouldn’t be in the country.”

Late Monday, Trump added on Twitter: “Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!”

Several members of the Eagles have voiced staunch opposition to the owners’ decision.

“This is a fear of the diminished bottom line,” Long said last month. “It’s also fear of a president turning his base against a corporation. This is not patriotism. Don’t get it confused. These owners don’t love America more than the players demonstrating and taking real action to improve it.”

Jenkins has vowed to carry on the cause.

“I will not let it silence me or stop me from fighting,” he said recently. “This has never been about taking a knee, raising a fist or anyone’s patriotism, but doing what we can to effect real change for real people.”

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., invited the Eagles to come to Capitol Hill.

“I’m proud of what the @Eagles accomplished this year. I’m skipping this political stunt at the White House and just invited the Eagles to Congress. @Eagles How about a tour of the Capitol?” he wrote.

White House legislative director Marc Short said in an appearance on CNN that he didn’t know who had canceled on whom, but said, “It’s unfortunate when politics gets in the middle of this.”

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Donald Trump announces that he canceled his ceremony for the Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles at the White House due to the National anthem protests controversy.