President Trump welcomed the New England Patriots to the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday to congratulate them on their fifth Super Bowl championship.
And there was another opportunity for that Wednesday when the New England Patriots visited President Trump to celebrate their Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
This year, several Patriots players said they would not be attending, some specifically citing Trump's comments and behavior as the reason why.
The White House is aware of "potential negative impacts" from a review ordered by Trump of whether lifting sanctions through the Iran nuclear deal was in USA national security interests, his spokesman says. The visit happened hours after a former Patriots star and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez was found dead in prison after hanging himself with a bedsheet in his cell.
Trump regularly mentioned Brady during the presidential campaign, even telling reporters from The Washington Post in March 2016 that Brady "loves me".
Trump commended Kraft for building a "culture dedicated to winning" and noted that "he started it with his coach", Belichick.
"I have three daughters", defensive lineman Alan Branch told the Boston Globe, "I wouldn't spend time away from my family to shake the hand of a guy I wouldn't want to meet with or talk to".
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Smith misses 36 games during the regular season with a fractured right thumb and five more with ankle and knee injuries. His teammates and coach clearly took notice, including Channing Frye, who chalked it up to Shump's eating habits.
Asked in February about his teammates' decision to snub Trump's invitation, Brady said "everybody has their own choice".
In reality, the total delegation of people (players plus coaches plus staff) sent to the White House was almost the same in each year.
Kraft, the longtime Patriots owner, spoke after Trump, noting the similarities in New England's latest Super Bowl win and the president's victory at the most recent election.
Bennett is an outspoken supporter of the "Black Lives Matter" movement and has used his social media platforms to criticize Trump and speak out on social issues.
"I think I got this", Spicer replied.
Defensive back Devin McCourty said he wouldn't attend because he doesn't feel welcome at the White House. "I'll leave it at that". Photos taken on Wednesday and in 2015, when the team visited President Obama after their previous championship, clearly show the impact of the absentees.
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