Several members of the Philadelphia Eagles, including safety Malcolm Jenkins, have already announced that they will not visit the White House to celebrate Sunday’s Super Bowl win.
Wide receiver Torrey Smith, defensive end Chris Long, and safety Malcolm Jenkins, have already told NJ.com that they will not be participating in the team’s championship visit to the White House, Huffington Post reported.
Jenkins, a well-known social justice activist, told CNN on February 5 that he did not “anticipate” joining the team if they visit Trump’s White House.
“My message has been clear all year,” Jenkins told the hosts of “New Day,” on Monday. “I’m about, you know, creating positive change in the communities that I come from, whether it be Philadelphia, New Jersey, Ohio, Louisiana or this entire country.”
“I want to see changes in our criminal justice system,” Jenkins added. “I want to see us push for … [economic] and educational advancement in communities of color and low-income communities. And I want to see our relationships between our communities and our law enforcement be advanced.”
Some anticipate that Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount may also decide to skip a visit to the White House. After all, Blount skipped a visit to the White House last year when he was a member of the New England Patriots.
“I just don’t feel welcome into that house,” Blount said last year. “I’m just gonna leave it at that.”
Blount has made no announcement of his intentions for this year.
There is no guarantee that Trump will even invite the Eagles to visit the White House and the president has already created a precedent for not inviting the team. He didn’t invite the NBA’s 2016 champs to the White House after the Golden State Warriors’ MVP Stephen Curry made a big show of refusing any such invitation.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.