The Philadelphia Eagles have been invited to celebrate their Super Bowl win at The White House in June, but not every player plans to visit with President Donald Trump.
The Trump Administration on Thursday formally acknowledged the invitation for a June 5th event at The White House.
"President Trump looks forward to welcoming the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House on June 5th to celebrate their Super Bowl LII win," White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said.
The team hasn't commented on the formal invite, but said in April that they would go.
"We...view this not only as an opportunity to be recognized for our on-field achievements, but also as an opportunity to engage in productive dialogue...," a spokesperson said at the time.
Not everyone will walk into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, however.
Several of the team's players including safety Malcolm Jenkins and defensive end Chris Long are outspoken critics of President Trump and his administration's policies around criminal justice and immigration. Long opted out of a 2017 White House visit when he won a Super Bowl LI with the New England Patriots.
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Jenkins told NBC10 on Thursday that he'll skip a meeting with President Trump, but will travel with the team to Washington, D.C.
"At this point, I'm not interested in any discussions on anything right now just with the climate that's been going on in The White House," Jenkins said at a charity event he organized in Camden, New Jersey.
"From a team standpoint, some guys have dreamed, you know, of being able to win a championship and take a visit to The White House and we're not trying to deny that to anybody. There's also a lot of guys who feel passionate about not going and so you have to try to find a balance that's fair for everybody," he said.
Jenkins silently protested racial inequality in the criminal justice system during performances of the National Anthem before Eagles games by raising a fist in the air. Trump repeatedly blasted NFL protests as players raised fists and took knees before kickoff.
The 30-year-old has met with lawmakers and recently held forums with district attorney candidates around the country with the hope of elevating those with progressive policies on law and order.
It's not just players who have negative views of Trump. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie reportedly isn't a fan.
The New York Times, citing recordings of a meeting of owners and players in response to Trump's rhetoric about the demonstrations, quoted Lurie describing Trump's presidency as "disastrous."
