The Philadelphia Eagles accepted an invitation to the White House in March to celebrate their latest Super Bowl win. But ahead of the visit, Saquon Barkley was spotted golfing with President Donald Trump, sparking online backlash.
The running back responded to the criticism on X, telling users that his outing was about respect, not politics.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Barkley and Trump meet at Bedminster golf course
Barkley and Trump were seen golfing on Sunday, April 27, at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, course. Later that day, they traveled together to Washington in preparation for the Eagles’ White House visit.
A short clip captured Trump praising Barkley to reporters, saying, “What a nice guy he is.”
Photos and videos from the outing quickly spread online. Many fans criticized Barkley for spending time with the president.
Barkley fires back on social media
Barkley addressed the controversy on a post on X on Monday, April 28. He wrote, “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have an amazing day.”
lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my…
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) April 28, 2025
He emphasized that he viewed the meeting through an apolitical lens, pointing to a previous golf outing with former President Barack Obama.
White House visit marks shift from 2018 controversy
The Eagles’ White House visit marks a change from 2018, when the team’s Super Bowl celebration was canceled by Trump. At the time, tensions over national anthem protests and low player turnout led to the decision.
But this time around, it seems both sides are ready to move forward.
Philadelphia Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie commented earlier in April, saying, “This is a time-honored tradition being invited by the White House.” He added, “There were special circumstances back then that were very different — and so this was kind of an obvious choice, and we look forward to it.”
Not all players attending
Despite the overall acceptance of the invitation, not every player plans to attend the White House ceremony.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts addressed the topic at the 2025 TIME 100 Gala in New York City. When asked if he would visit the White House, Hurts replied with an uncertain “Um…” before the reporter ended the conversation.
Monday afternoon, NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor posted on X that a White House official confirmed Hurts and several other players would not attend due to “scheduling conflicts.”
