U.S President Donald Trump cancelled a White House celebration in honour of National Football League (NFL) champions Philadelphia Eagles after several of its players and coaches decided to not attend the event.
Mr. Trump has made the NFL a field for his ultranationalist politics after some players began to kneel down during national anthem at games to protest police violence against African Americans. On Twitter and in public rallies, the President abused African American players , questioned their patriotism and called their supporters anti-nationals. Mr. Trump called on NFL team owners to fire players who did not stand for the national anthem.
The President customarily invites the champions of major professional and college sports to the White House for a visit. Disinviting the Eagles and announcing the event as a political spectacle, the President said in a statement on Monday: “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team…They disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country. The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better. These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony—one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the national anthem…”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said this episode “only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac.”
Mr. Trump’s tool of football patriotism has become politically potent as it accelerated the decline in NFL viewership last season. In response, NFL has decided that players and teams will be fined if they kneel during national anthem from next season. Players could stay in the locker room, if they want to protest, NFL has announced. The NFL decision has sparked a new debate on freedom of expression and patriotism in America. Mr. Trump portrayed the NFL decision as a victory for him but also berated it for allowing players to stay in locker rooms during the anthem.
“NFL, no escaping to Locker Rooms!,” the President reiterated the point in a Twitter post on Tuesday morning. “We will proudly be playing the National Anthem and other wonderful music celebrating our Country today at 3 P.M., The White House, with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus. Honoring America!,” he said.
Eagles member Torrey Smith responded on Twitter: “Make sure you know the words, stand tall, and aren’t twiddling your fingers around like a kid that can’t wait for it to end.” In an earlier post, he said the President was spreading “the false narrative that players are anti military.”
Colin Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers, started the protest in 2016 that soon spread to other teams. In 2017, not team signed Mr. Kaepernick. The President has claimed credit for the player’s unemployment.
