The Super Bowl champions will be visiting the White House after all.
After a number of media members rushed to judgment last month when a phony report from The U.S. Sun suggested that the Philadelphia Eagles had declined an invitation to the White House following their Super Bowl victory, it turns out the Birds will, in fact, attend the celebration in Washington D.C.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced at Tuesday’s press briefing that the Eagles will visit the White House on April 28.
Press Secretary Leavitt announces the Eagles will be visiting The White House on April 28th pic.twitter.com/NDqMU7KOL2
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 11, 2025
“April 28th, I can confirm that the Philadelphia Eagles will be here at the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory. 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 28th,” Leavitt said.
The Eagles did not go to the White House in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump canceled the gathering after learning only a small number of players planned to attend. Whether or not teams visited the White House following a championship became an ongoing theme of the first Trump presidency as several teams opted to decline the invitation on political grounds.
Following the report in The U.S. Sun, the controversy took shape, with many journalists refuting the quote attributed to Eagles ownership saying they “wouldn’t go to the White House,” by suggesting that no invitation had even been offered to that point. CNN’s Jake Tapper, an Eagles enthusiast, went reported that a team source said they’d “be honored” to visit the White House.
A source with the @Eagles tells me:
“We would be honored to visit the White House. It’s one of the things we had looked forward to doing and we look forward to receiving the invitation.” https://t.co/hvHqCraHve— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) February 24, 2025
However, that was after many political commentators had already piled on the Eagles for supposedly declining an invitation; most notably conservative commentator Megyn Kelly who said, “GO F YOURSELVES EAGLES.”
SAME. GO F YOURSELVES EAGLES. My husband is a fan so I got onboard but F this BS https://t.co/KemoC67QEu
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) February 24, 2025
The team’s decision marks a sharp departure from what became the norm during the first Trump administration. Whether other teams in other leagues follow suit will be a story to monitor.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.