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Trump cancels Super Bowl champions’ White House visit over anthem protests

Owning the libs by taking his ball and going home.

Vince DeMito wears a modified Philadelphia Eagles logo with Donald Trump after the Republican Presidential nominee held a rally at the Double Tree by Hilton Valley Forge November 1, 2016 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)
Vince DeMito wears a modified Philadelphia Eagles logo with Donald Trump after the Republican Presidential nominee held a rally at the Double Tree by Hilton Valley Forge November 1, 2016 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Though multiple Philadelphia Eagles players said they wouldn’t visit the White House shortly after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, much of the team and its staff was expected to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

However, Trump unexpectedly pulled the plug on the Eagles’ visit Monday evening, citing the ongoing feud over NFL players protesting racial inequality by taking a knee during the national anthem.

According to Trump, “the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better,” and he will still host them at the White House for a different ceremony, during which the anthem will be played “loudly and proudly.”

The NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had met with players to discuss concerns over the White House visit and the team was going to send a smaller group than originally planned.

Torrey Smith, who was traded by the Eagles to the Carolina Panthers after February’s Super Bowl victory, started his response to Trump’s statement with “So many lies smh.”

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced he would skip the White House event and invited the Eagles to Capitol Hill:

Jane Slusser, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney’s chief of staff, used the snub to mock the low turnout at Trump’s inauguration.

Former NFL EVP and White House press secretary Joe Lockhart took to Twitter with his reaction.

Trump continues to use players protesting racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem as a point of contention. He may have violated federal law by urging NFL owners not to sign Colin Kaepernick, who started the anthem protests and alleges owners are colluding against him as a result of his activism. Last month, Trump suggested anti-racist NFL protesters should be removed from the country.

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The league recently adopted new guidelines for kneeling during the national anthem, including potential penalties and fines for players that take part.

Trump’s decision was celebrated by many conservatives. Smith responded to a tweet from Turning Point USA executive director Charlie Kirk, noting that the Eagles were a strange target for Trump’s displeasure.

The Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins protested by raising his fist all season and called Trump a social media troll. Chris Long was the first white NFL player to participate in anthem protests. Michael Bennett, who was recently traded to the Eagles, is facing 10 years in prison on dubious charges.