Eagles’ Jalen Hurts Skips White House Celebration with Trump

Washington, D.C. — Jalen Hurts, the star quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, skipped a celebration at the White House on April 28 with President Donald Trump, honoring the team’s Super Bowl victory. A White House official stated that Hurts and several teammates had ‘scheduling conflicts.’

Less than half of the Eagles players attended the event, where Trump praised Hurts as a ‘terrific guy and terrific player.’ The Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX back in February. Other players absent from the visit included wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, linebacker Zack Baun, and defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Hurts had previously deflected questions about attending during his appearance at the TIME 100 gala in New York City. When asked about the White House visit, he hesitated and changed the subject. Trump’s praise for the Eagles continued at the event, highlighting the team’s talent and unity.

In previous years, the Eagles faced scrutiny for avoiding the traditional White House visit. After their first Super Bowl win in 2018, the team opted not to attend amid ongoing discussions regarding player protests during the National Anthem, which President Trump criticized at the time. He ended up inviting a group of Eagles fans instead when most players declined.

This year’s visit also included a moment where Trump endorsed the Eagles’ signature ‘Tush Push’ play, which may face a potential ban by NFL owners later this year.

Despite the absence of key players, team owner Jeffrey Lurie clarified that attendance was voluntary. ‘Our culture is that these are optional things,’ Lurie told reporters. ‘If you want to enjoy this, come along and we’ll have a great time.’ Featured at the visit was running back Saquon Barkley, who had spent time with Trump the day before on the golf course.

Barkley addressed some of the criticism he received on social media for golfing with Trump, emphasizing his respect for the office of the presidency. ‘Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,’ he wrote on X. ‘Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have an amazing day.’