President Trump continued to blitz the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday hours after he canceled a White House ceremony with the Super Bowl champions and taunted NFL players by saying there’ll 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,” he posted on his Twitter account. “Honoring America! NFL, no escaping to Locker Rooms!”
Trump was referring to the new NFL policy that calls for players to stand on the field for the national anthem or remain in the locker room.
Asked about the change in policy last month, Trump delivered a message for NFL players who take a knee during the playing of the anthem: “Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”
Trump disinvited the team Monday night after the New York Times reported that fewer than 10 Eagles were going to attend the ceremony.
In a statement, Trump claimed that the NFLers were boycotting because they disagreed with him “because he insists they proudly stand for the National Anthem.”
But no Eagles took a knee during the season, although some Eagles have expressed their disagreement with the president’s policies.
Team officials said they left the decision to attend the White House ceremony up to the individual players.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called Trump “not a true patriot but a fragile egomaniac.”
In another tweet he mentioned the other championship teams that did celebrate their victory at the White House with Trump.
“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 said.
In February, the Golden State Warriors declined to attend a White House ceremony to honor their 2017 NBA championship and instead toured the National Museum of African-American History and Culture with local students.