Donald Trump loves nothing more than to claim he’s right. And when it comes to the New York Giants deciding to let Saquon Barkley walk in free agency right to the Philadelphia Eagles, he believes he was right before anyone else.
On Monday, the Eagles took part in their visit to the White House in celebration of their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his speech, Trump spoke about Barkley’s move from the Giants to the Eagles last offseason, claiming that he advised the Giants to “do anything they have to do” to keep Barkley in town during a conversation with head coach Brian Daboll and other members of the organization.
“By the way, I have to tell you something,” said Trump. “I was with the Giants and the head coach and some people, and I said, ‘Do anything you have to. But don’t lose Saquon (Barkley).’ They lost Saquon, that was not good. I called that one. That was an easy one to call because he played damn well for the Giants, I’ll tell you that.”
Shortly after Trump’s speech, a spokesperson from the Giants organization addressed the validity of his claim, stating that the so-called conversation had never occurred.
“There were no conversations,” the spokesperson told Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports.
I asked the Giants if Donald Trump spoke with the team about Saquon Barkley as he said he did today at the White House.
“There were no conversations,” a team spokesperson told me.https://t.co/A2NsSe8nvw
— Margaret Fleming (@mgfleming12) April 28, 2025
Regardless of whether the conversation actually occurred or not, it was fairly obvious at the time to most that the Giants might regret letting a player like Barkley go. But to be fair, one could argue that the Giants weren’t exactly in a position to give Barkley a big contract given the other holes on their roster.
Making fairly obvious observations about sports has become a trend for Trump in recent months. During the Los Angeles Dodgers White House visit earlier this month, he claimed that Shohei Ohtani, a generational superstar in the eyes of most, has “got a good future” and that Mookie Betts “can play.” Understatements of the century for two players who are almost certainly destined for a spot in Cooperstown one day.
Seeking credit is also something that Trump is no stranger to, which was apparent when White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insinuated that Trump deserved credit for the Cleveland Browns ending Shedeur Sanders’ slide in the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected him in the fifth round. This came after Trump publicly called NFL teams “stupid” for letting Sanders get past the first round.
Whether you feel that Trump truly did get this prediction right from the start or think that this potentially made-up story is simply another attempt to get some credit for being right, he feels as if the Giants will continue to regret their choice to part ways with Barkley.
