President Donald Trump is facing some backlash for cancelling the Philadelphia Eagles’ scheduled visit to the White House.
The Eagles were set to visit the White House on Tuesday, but Trump abruptly released a statement saying he was cancelling the visit. Since then, word has emerged that the Eagles were only going to send fewer than 10 players to the visit.
In response, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney ripped Trump for cancelling the visit, saying that the “egomaniac” didn’t want to be embarrassed by the small crowd.
“The Eagles call the birthplace of our democracy home, so it’s no surprise that this team embodies everything that makes our country and our city great. Their athletic accomplishments on the field led to an historic victory this year. Fans all across the country rallied behind them because we like to root for the underdog and we feel joy when we see the underdogs finally win. I’m equally proud of the Eagles’ activism off the field. These are players who stand up for the causes they believe in and who contribute in meaningful ways to their community. They represent the diversity of our nation—a nation in which we are free to express our opinions,” Kenney said in his statement.
“Disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend.
“City Hall is always open for a celebration.”
In addition to that sharp criticism, former Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith also criticized the president for his “cowardly” act.
