The Death of the White House Visit

By: TINAYZA HERRIOTT / STAFF WRITER

Saquon Barkley visits Donald Trump at the White House (via the White House)

When Eagles running back Saquon Barkley teed off with former President Donald Trump ahead of his team’s scheduled White House visit, critics slammed the optics. Supporters rushed to his defense. And Barkley? He kept it blunt.

It was a rare moment of candor in a political climate where every athlete’s move is dissected. Even Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ star quarterback, skipped the White House visit — citing “scheduling conflicts,” though many suspected deeper motivations. Other key players like DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown also opted out, while a smaller group of Eagles players, coaches and staff made the trip.

The visit felt divided, a far cry from the traditional mass team celebrations of the past. And it was just the latest example of how the White House visit, once automatic, has become a personal and political minefield.

Barkley did not initiate the concept but his visit served as a reminder that the tradition of sports champions attending the White House – once considered a celebration of athletic achievement – is now a political landmine. And in many ways, the tradition has been crumbling for years.

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then-quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” he told NFL Media.

His protest set off a national firestorm: the NFL tried to contain it; Fans and politicians took sides; and Kaepernick, blackballed from the league, became both a martyr and a mirror for the growing tension between sports and state.

The protest wasn’t about the White House directly but it shifted the atmosphere. Suddenly, athletes were no longer just champions — they were expected to stand for something or risk being labeled complicit. That expectation extended to every invitation, handshake and photo op.

The Trump Era: Division on Display

The full unraveling of the White House visit as a nonpartisan tradition took place under President Donald Trump.

In 2017, Trump berated NFL players for kneeling during the anthem, famously saying, “Get that son of a b**h off the field.”* That same year, after the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry publicly hesitated to attend the White House. Trump rescinded the invitation before Curry could even officially decline.

LeBron James fired back at the President on X, posting, “U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up!”

The line had been drawn.

The Minnesota Lynx were never invited at all after winning their WNBA championship in 2017 — they responded by visiting D.C. schools and distributing backpacks instead. In 2018, The Philadelphia Eagles were disinvited after several players said they wouldn’t attend. Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, declared before winning the 2019 World Cup: “I’m not going to the f—ing White House.”

Even athletes who once leaned right or remained neutral were forced to pick a side.

Tom Brady skipped Obama’s 2015 invitation and later Trump’s as well. Tim Thomas, goalie for the Boston Bruins, refused to visit Obama’s White House in 2012, citing what he called “a government that threatens the rights of the individual.”

But the damage didn’t stop at withdrawn invitations and boycotts. In 2019, when the Clemson Tigers football team visited the Trump White House after their national championship win, they were famously served McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King — an unusual, cheap fast-food spread presented on silver platters. Trump cited the government shutdown at the time for the limited catering options.

To many, the fast food moment symbolized how the tradition had been devalued and stripped of its dignity. Something that was once an automatic, feel-good photo op became a battleground for values.

Clemson Tigers receive fast food platter during their visit to the White House in 2019 (via Washington.org)

Under Biden: Tradition Revived But Not Restored

Former President Joe Biden had attempted to return the White House visit to its previous form — celebratory, inclusive and non-divisive. And while teams like the Warriors and the Kansas City Chiefs have accepted their invitations, the wounds from past years are still fresh.

In 2023, Angel Reese, star of LSU’s NCAA champion women’s basketball team, publicly rejected the White House invite after First Lady Jill Biden suggested that both LSU and runner-up Iowa be honored.

“We’ll go to the Obamas,” Reese wrote. 

She eventually agreed to attend after internal conversations but the moment revealed just how politically sensitive the invitation still is.

What Does the Visit Represent Today?

Once upon a time, the White House visit was about sports achievement. Now, it’s about alignment of ideology, politics and even morality.

For some athletes, declining the invite is a principled stand. For others, attending might simply reflect a respect for the office, regardless of who’s in it. But either way, the choice is no longer neutral.

The White House visit isn’t dead but it’s changed. What used to be a celebration of unity is now a test of conviction. To attend or not to attend isn’t just a calendar decision – It’s a cultural one.