Jalen Hurts Dodging Question on Trump White House Visit Goes Viral

During an interview on Thursday, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts paused for a few seconds and did not answer a journalist's question about whether he planned to join his team's forthcoming visit to the White House to meet President Donald Trump.

Newsweek has reached out to Hurts' representative via email for comment.

The Context

The Eagles won Super Bowl LIX in February, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22, with Hurts putting in a standout performance to help deliver the win. Trump, who attended the game, made history as the first president to attend the Super Bowl while holding office.

To celebrate their victory, the Eagles will be at the White House on Monday. Typically, the Super Bowl champions are honored at the president's official residence each year.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the news 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," she said at a White House briefing. "They enthusiastically accepted, and you will see them here on April 28."

The Eagles won their first-ever Super Bowl in 2018 but chose not to celebrate their win with Trump who was in his first term.

At the time, the event was canceled due to the team's disagreement with the president over the national anthem as fewer than 10 members were planning to attend.

"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 had previously been vocal about NFL players kneeling during the song since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee in 2016 in protest of police brutality and racial injustice.

What To Know

Hurts spoke with a reporter on Thursday in New York City at the TIME100 Gala, which celebrates TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2025.

In a now-viral video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by TIME, a reporter can be heard off-camera asking Hurts: "Are you planning on visiting the White House next week?"

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

At the time of publication, the clip racked up more than 133,200 views.

What People Are Saying

In February, President Donald 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."

What Happens Next?

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to appear at the White House on Monday, though it's unclear if Hurts will be in attendance.

Update 4/25/25, 9:06 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.