Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called President Donald Trump a “fragile egomaniac” this week after Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles football team, the 2018 Super Bowl champions, from a celebration at the White House.
Trump disinvited the entire team after it was reported that a smaller number of players would attend the celebration at the White House on Tuesday than originally anticipated.
Trump tweeted Monday that the Eagles were invited but since “only a small number of players decided to come,” the White House canceled the event.
“Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry,” Trump said.
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
The National Football League recently banned players from kneeling on-field during the national anthem. NFL owners approved a new policy that allows players to stay in the locker room if they want to during the national anthem, but if they are on the field, the players must stand and show “respect for the flag and the Anthem.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that most of the players intended to visit the White House, and that only a small number of players had definitively decided not to go – including receiver Torrey Smith.
“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,” Smith tweeted Monday.
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
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) June 4, 2018
“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,” Mayor Kenney said in a statement. “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,” he added. “City Hall is always open for a celebration.”
Now, rather than an event for the Super Bowl champions, the event was back as an event to honor the nation, pay tribute to heroes who fight to protect it, and to “proudly” play the national anthem, Trump said.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday that there would be a celebration “honoring America,” and that there would be “no escaping to locker rooms.”
“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,” Trump said.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018
“We have had many Championship teams recently at the White House including the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Penguins, New England Patriots, Alabama and Clemson National Champions, and many others,” he added.
We have had many Championship teams recently at the White House including the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Penguins, New England Patriots, Alabama and Clemson National Champions, and many others. National Anthem & more great music today at 3:00 P.M.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018
President Trump was expected to attend the celebration on Tuesday:
The NFL’s new rule about players kneeling on-field has incited another round of controversy.
There were several weeks of football games throughout the 2017 season where hundreds of players took a knee or sat down in protest during the national anthem.
This was started by football player Colin Kaepernick in 2016 to protest what he believes to be problems in America, namely police brutality and black inequality. Kaepernick was not signed by a professional football team last year and is currently suing the NFL. Kaepernick and another unsigned free agent, Eric Reid, are alleging that NFL teams are colluding to keep them unemployed.
The kneeling protests took on a whole new meaning after President Trump said players should stand during the anthem or be “fired.”
Trump called on players to stand and show respect to the anthem and flag. Otherwise, if any player kneeled during the national anthem, then that team’s owner should “fire that son of a b*tch,” he said during a rally last year.
Trump had also tweeted: “Ratings for NFL football are way down except before game starts, when people tune in to see whether or not our country will be disrespected.”
“The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can’t kneel during our national anthem,” Trump has said.
The NFL Players Association has come out and said that they players are within their rights to do so, per the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
