Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley is shutting down criticism after he was spotted golfing and spending time with former President Donald Trump ahead of the Eagles’ scheduled visit to the White House.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Barkley addressed the backlash surrounding the company he was keeping.
“lol some people are really upset cause I played golf and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” he wrote.
“Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have an amazing day.”
Barkley’s comments come after photos surfaced over the weekend of him visiting Trump at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He later traveled with the former president aboard Air Force One to Washington, D.C., and then rode Marine One to the White House grounds.
Trump, for his part, praised Barkley, describing the Super Bowl champion as a “nice guy” during their time together.
Eagles’ White House Visit: Who Showed Up and Who Opted Out
Following the Eagles’ dominant victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, speculation swirled about whether the team would accept an invitation to the White House—a tradition sometimes mired in political controversy.
When the formal invite came, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie made it clear that visiting the White House was optional for players, but described the decision to accept as an “obvious choice.”
However, not every Eagle decided to attend.
Star quarterback Jalen Hurts notably skipped the presidential visit. When approached about the topic during the TIME100 Gala, Hurts remained silent, only responding with an uncomfortable, “Umm…” before the reporter moved on.
Meanwhile, Barkley’s public defense of his White House visit and bipartisan golfing habits—having also recently played with Barack Obama—shows he’s choosing respect for the office over political battles.
