• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Philadelphia Eagles

As Trump Disinvites the Eagles, A Brief Look at His Fraught History With Champion Athletes

By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 5, 2018, 7:03 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

President Trump has had a public, and frequently antagonistic relationship with professional athletes since taking the presidency (see: Colin Kaepernick, NFL more broadly).

Now he has uninvited 2018 Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, from the customary White House visit. The retracted invite comes following news that several players would not participate, due to Trump’s continued criticism of players kneeling during the national anthem.

But this isn’t the first time Trump has uninvited athletes—nor the first time they’ve chosen not to attend.

New England Patriots

Last April, following the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl win, a number of players chose not to visit the White House. According to The New York Times, 34 players attended, as compared to nearly 50 in 2015, when Barack Obama was still serving as president.

While a Patriots spokesperson attributed the dwindling numbers to “some veteran players” not seeing “the need to go twice in three years,” several of the players provided more political reasons.

The Times reported at the time that running back LeGarrette Blount, tight end Martellus Bennett, safety Devin McCourty, and defensive tackle Alan Branch were among those who suggested variations on a sentiment that they did not feel welcome in the White House as a reason for not attending. Quarterback Tom Brady pointed to “personal family matters” as his reason for not going.

Pittsburgh Penguins

2017 NHL Champions the Pittsburgh Penguins took a considerably less political approach to the customary White House visit last October. According to a Penguins media release, all of the players attended the visit, but the team was remarkably quiet about the visit on its social media accounts.

A month prior, the team had released a statement saying that it respects “the institution of the Office of the President, and the long tradition of championship teams visiting the White House” and had accepted the White House’s invitation.

“Any agreement or disagreement with a president’s politics, policies or agenda can be expressed in other ways,” it continued. Nevertheless, at least one report of the visit suggests that the team failed give Trump a gift, as is typically done.

Golden State Warriors

After winning the NBA championship last year, the Golden State Warriors were somewhat unsurprisingly uninvited from visiting the White House. The team’s players, like that of sister Bay Area football team the 49ers, have largely been critical of the Trump administration.

After player Steph Curry criticized Trump, the president rescinded the invite on Twitter.

Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

Instead of visiting the White House last fall, then, several of the Warriors went to Washington in February this year, and visited the National Museum of African-American History and Culture with local Washington students.

Player Klay Thompson told reporters that “the White House is a great honor but there’s extenuating circumstances that we felt that we’re not comfortable doing.”

“We’re not going to politicize anything, we’re just going to hang out with some kids, take them to an African-American museum and hopefully teach them things we learned along the way and life lessons, and we’ll still be getting some great memories,” he continued.

Houston Astros

Following their World Series win, the Houston Astros readily accepted the White House invitation. In January, Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan told the Houston Chronicle that it “is a tradition and an honor. For many people, this might be their only time to ever be invited to the White House.”

Two players who did not attend reportedly cited family obligations. A third, recently retired outfielder Carlos Beltran, skipped the visit due to disappointment with the administration’s response to Hurricane Maria, particularly in his home of Puerto Rico.

And of course there’s the 2017 WNBA champs, the Minnesota Lynx, who conspicuously never received a White House invite of their own.

About the Author
By Natasha Bach
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

lbh
North Americanative americans
‘Today I am celebrating the victory of our people’: Native Americans ring in the anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn
By Matthew Brown, Jack Dura and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
7 hours ago
gas
LawAntitrust
Gas station owners have found a use case for AI, lawsuit says: colluding to fix prices
By R.J. Rico and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
g
AIunemployment
One of the Democratic Party’s brightest stars is co-founding a group to help with the coming AI jobs earthquake
By Josh Boak and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
apes
HealthAnimals
Scientists tickled monkeys to find if they have the same giggles as humans — and they do
By Adithi Ramakrishnan and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
t
Real EstateHousing
Congress just passed the most significant housing bill in decades, so why won’t Trump sign it?
By Alex Veiga and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
merlin
North AmericaWorld Cup
Merlin the Duck was allowed inside Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, but only to film a commercial
By Nayara Batschke and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
23 hours ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
2 days ago
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Success
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 25, 2026
23 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Thursday, June 25, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Thursday, June 25, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 25, 2026
17 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 25, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 25, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 25, 2026
17 hours ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.