Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on Monday called U.S. President Donald J. Trump a “fragile egomaniac” in response to the city’s professional football team, which are the 2018 Superbowl Champions, being disinvited from the White House.
Mr. Trump, who pressured NFL owners to rid the games of kneeling protest during the national anthem, in a tweet Monday night said “only a small number of players decided to come, and we cancelled the event.”
He further wrote:
“Staying in the locker room for the playing of our national anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper took to Twitter early Tuesday morning, citing a source which said “zero members of the Superbowl winning Eagles team invited to the White House ever took a knee or stayed in the locker room during the national anthem.”
The issue of protesting during the anthem – a practice started by former San Francisco 49ers Mr. Colin Kaepernick to highlight police violence against African-Americans – made its way back into the headlines last week when a majority of NFL owners approved a rule which requires players to stand if they are on the field during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Two members of the Philadelphia Eagles, Mr. Chris Long and Mr. Malcolm Jenkins, issued statements shortly after the rule was made public.
“This is fear of a diminished bottom line. It’s also fear of a president turning his base against a corporation,” Mr. Long, who called the rule “clumsy,” stated a week ago.
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Mr. Jenkins, who raised a closed fist last season, said he disagreed with the decision but wouldn’t let it silence him.
Mayor Kenney, who isn’t a fan of the president, on Monday said the football players on his home team stand up for the causes they believe in and contribute to their community in meaningful ways.
He added: “City Hall is always open for a celebration.”
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