Another member of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots team will not be attending the celebration ceremony at the White House because of his opposition to President Donald Trump.
“I’m not going to the White House,” veteran defensive back Devin McCourty told Time magazine. “Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.”
McCourty, one of the team’s defensive captains, joins tight end Martellus Bennett in declining to attend the traditional White House celebration of the Super Bowl winners. “I haven’t thought about it,” Bennett told members of the media after the game. “But I’m not going to go.”
The Patriots organization was under increased scrutiny in the weeks before the Super Bowl, as many noted that Trump is a personal friend of team owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and star quarterback Tom Brady. Outraged social media users, among others, demanded that Brady renounce his friendship with Trump and speak out against the president’s controversial travel ban.
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These sorts of political statements from athletes are likely to become more frequent over the next four years, but they did happen during the Obama administration. Baltimore Ravens lineman Matt Birk skipped the 2013 ceremony at the White House, citing his opposition to Obama’s position on Planned Parenthood.
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