Trump Praises Jalen Hurts As 'Terrific' After He Skips White House Visit

President Donald Trump lauded Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on Monday, shortly after Hurts declined to join his teammates for a White House visit.

Trump invited the Eagles to the White House to celebrate the team's victory in the 2025 Super Bowl and said Monday that the Eagles' "unforgettable display of athleticism will soon be seen in highlight reels," adding that "you've seen a lot of it."

The Context

Speculation over whether Hurts would be in attendance began swirling last week, when the star player paused for a few seconds and didn't answer when a journalist asked him if he planned to join his teammates for their upcoming visit to the White House.

What To Know

The president on Monday singled out Eagles running back Saquon Barkley's "historic season" and went on to say that it was also "an incredible year for star quarterback Jalen Hurts."

"He really played a—he had a great season and a great game," the president said of Hurts. "Finished with 32 touchdowns in the year, turning in one stellar performance after another. Terrific guy and a terrific player."

"I've seen that game numerous times ... it was an amazing game, the final game and a little bit surprising that either team would have won by so much," Trump said of the Super Bowl, in which the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.

The White House said earlier Monday that Hurts and other players who were absent couldn't attend because of "scheduling conflicts."

Newsweek reached out to the Eagles' media relations team via email for comment Monday afternoon.

Hurts was first asked about his plans on Thursday at the TIME 100 Gala in New York City, which celebrates the magazine's 100 most influential people of the year.

"Are you planning on visiting the White House next week?" a reporter asked Hurts off-camera at the event.

"Um," the 26-year-old replied, before pausing and walking away.

Barkley Golfs With President Trump

Barkley, meanwhile, ignited some controversy when he spent the weekend golfing with Trump at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Barkley also traveled with the president aboard Air Force One to Washington, D.C. and then to the White House via Marine One.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump described Barkley as a "nice guy."

Barkley also defended his time with the president after facing some social media backlash, pointing out that he had also golfed with former President Barack Obama.

"Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand," Barkley wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Trump Predicted Chiefs Would Defeat Eagles in Super Bowl

Trump thought the Chiefs would beat the Eagles in this year's Super Bowl and offered high praise for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes before the game.

While Mahomes did not endorse any candidate in the 2024 election, his wife, Brittany, has publicly voiced her support for Trump. Mahomes' mother, Randi, was also seen wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat at a football game the day before the election.

Meanwhile, Chiefs tight end is dating pop star Taylor Swift, who told her supporters she was going to vote for then Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the election.

Trump took a swipe at Swift after the Eagles won the game, writing on Truth Social that "the only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift. She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!"

Trump said of the Eagles at the Super Bowl: "I thought it was a great performance by them," he told reporters, noting that an invitation would be sent to the NFL team immediately to visit the White House. "They deserve to be down here, and we hope to see them."

Trump's White House History with Philadelphia NFL Franchise

The Eagles won their first-ever Super Bowl in 2018 but chose not to celebrate their victory at the White House during Trump's first term. Hurts was not on the team at the time. The 2018 event was canceled after several members of the team publicly broke with the president's position on protesting during the U.S. national anthem.

"The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow," Trump said at the time. "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."

Trump has repeatedly criticized NFL players who kneel during the anthem. Colin Kaepernick, who was then the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, was the first to take a knee in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

What People Are Saying

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the Eagles' trip to Washington last month: "I know there was a lot of fake news about an invitation that wasn't sent or was sent. We want to correct the record: We sent an invitation. They enthusiastically accepted, and you will see them here on April 28."

Update 4/28/25 2:04 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.

Update 4/28/25 2:23 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.

Update 4/28/25 3:03 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.

Update 4/28/25 4:25 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.

Update 4/28/25 5:35 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.