It's normal for athletes to visit the White House after winning a championship. At this point, it's traditional for them to to take a moment with the U.S. president and receive honor for their hard work. Of course, some athletes can decline if that's their prerogative, it's not mandatory by any means. However, most people tend to go for the sake of consistency with tradition. On the other hand, there are guys like Saquon Barkley who are doing a little more than just celebrate a Super Bowl win at the White House. Instead, he's taking a much more personal interest.
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Recently, the star running back and his Philadelphia Eagles went to visit Donald Trump amidst winning the Super Bowl back in February. However, Barkley goes the extra mile by joining the president at his Bedminster, N.J. golf club. Additionally, you could see him particularly gleeful and cozy in images coming off of a private jet. Naturally, this sparks a strong reaction from people, mostly negative. However, Saquon mostly scoffs at all the backlash.
Saquon Barkley Responds to Criticism Over Golfing With President Trump
"Lol some people are really upset cause I played golf and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT," Barkley writes on X (fka Twitter). "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."
It's definitely more than just a round of golf though. Pictures on social media circulate of Saquon mingling with Trump in settings filled with 'Make America Great Again' hats. Additionally, he networked with the president's daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner at a tech convention. Whether he intended to or not, the optics certainly alters how people look at Barkley now.
