Saquon Barkley didn’t love the idea that doing something inherently political — playing golf with the President of the United States — was seen in a political light.
The Philadelphia Eagles star running back, who was amongst a handful of players to attend the team’s White House celebration on Monday, told his followers that he golfed with Barack Obama, so what’s the difference if he did it with Trump? Barkley added that he respects the office of the presidency and wanted to honor what a White House visit represents, regardless of who occupies it.
lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my…
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) April 28, 2025
Not everyone on the team saw it the same way.
Several of Barkley’s teammates skipped the visit, with Trump officials citing “scheduling conflicts” as the reason. But it raised a broader, more uncomfortable question: Are Black NFL players facing an unspoken pressure — or double standard — when appearing at events like Monday’s?
That’s exactly what Laura Coates asked former ESPN personality Jemele Hill during her CNN show later that night.
“Oh, definitely, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that this administration has communicated so often about how they feel about Black people in this country,” Hill said. “At the same time, while he was with the president, you have this administration taking away precious artifacts from the National African American Museum here in Washington, D.C. You have them doing other things that show that they’re more than willing to undermine Black liberation in this country.
“And, so, if you’re a Black player, that automatically is going to put you in the crosshairs of politics. And so while I do think generally my position is with these White House invites, whether it be a republican or democrat in office, we’ve seen players that didn’t go when Obama was in office. Jalen Hurts didn’t go today, either. But the thing is, I’ve always felt like it’s up to the player to decide that. But once you make that decision, realize, people like you and I can be here on television to question, where it is you truly stand by standing and aligning yourself with some, who frankly, has really done a lot and has a very long history of completely disrespecting people that look like you.”
Then, turning to Donté Stallworth, Hill added, “Because if you didn’t play sports — if you weren’t a Super Bowl champion, if you weren’t Saquon Barkley — his reception of you would be a lot different.”
And that’s where the conversation shifts, not just to what Barkley did, but to who gets the benefit of the doubt when they do it.
“Saquon Barkley was able to do that, and he was able to put out, ‘Hey, I did it because I respect the office,'” Hill said. “At the same time, while we saw several players, or at least the Eagles, they sort of massaged it as ‘it was scheduling conflicts.’ I think those players that didn’t come, should have the same right to say why they didn’t come. I mean, they don’t owe us an explanation, but if Jalen Hurts has political and social reasons on why he didn’t attend, I think it’s fair that he be able to speak to whatever that is, and what his concerns are about this administration.”
Because just like Saquon Barkley has the right to explain why he showed up, players like Jalen Hurts deserve the space to explain why they stayed away, especially when silence can be just as powerful as presence
