The Philadelphia Eagles are officially heading to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory, putting an end to weeks of speculation about whether they would accept the invitation.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the news on Tuesday, stating, “I know there was a lot of fake news about an invitation that wasn’t sent or was sent. We want to correct the record: We sent an invitation. They enthusiastically accepted, and you will see them here on April 28.”
Visiting the White House after a championship win is a long-standing tradition in American sports, but that tradition faced turbulence during President Donald Trump’s first term. Several teams, including the Golden State Warriors, chose to decline invitations during that period.
The Eagles themselves skipped the White House visit after their Super Bowl LII win, a decision that led to controversy. Trump claimed he rescinded their invitation due to alleged protests during the national anthem-even though there were no known instances of Eagles players doing so that season.
They were weeks of uncertainty
Reports later suggested that Philadelphia had only planned to send a small delegation, with many of the team’s Black players opting out entirely.
This time around, the Eagles made it clear shortly after their thrilling win over the Kansas City Chiefs that they would accept if invited. However, doubts lingered as weeks passed without an official confirmation.
Trump, who made history as the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl last month, personally confirmed that the invitation was extended. He notably backed the Chiefs to win in part due to his admiration for quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, sparking further debate among fans.
The Eagles will follow in the footsteps of the Panthers
The Eagles will be the second team to visit the Trump White House this year, following the Florida Panthers, who celebrated their Stanley Cup championship last month.
With the April 28 visit officially on the books, all eyes will now be on which Eagles players make the trip to Washington-and whether any high-profile absences stir up new controversy.
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