Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) is slamming President Trump for disinviting the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House.
In a statement on Monday, Kenney called Trump a “fragile egomaniac,” saying that he was “afraid” to host the Super Bowl champions after some players said they would boycott the visit.
“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,” Kenney said in a statement.
NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo said that team owner Jeffrey Lurie planned to send fewer than 10 players to the event.
{mosads}Trump said in a statement Monday that the Eagles were “unable” to come to the White House with the full team, saying that the team wanted to send a smaller delegation but that fans planning to attend “deserve better.” The statement cited the players’ disagreeing with Trump on national anthem protests as the reason why they would not be attending.
Kenney lauded the Eagles in his statement, saying that he was “proud” of their playing, and of their activism off the field.
“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,” he said. “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.”