The New England Patriots won their fifth Super Bowl in the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. Outside of their football success, the pair have recently been under a microscope for their involvement with President Donald Trump, along with owner Robert Kraft.
Patriots White House visit 2017: Which players have said they won’t attend?
Martellus Bennett was the first to speak up, and he’s been joined by others since.
Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports
Many athletes across sports have been outspoken against Trump. Since the Patriots won the Super Bowl and will be visiting the White House, some players have spoken out and said that they won’t be attending because of Trump.
Here is a complete timeline of Patriots players saying that they won’t attend the White House celebration.
Feb. 6 — Martellus Bennett confirms that he won’t attend
Bennett mentioned on Super Bowl’s Opening Night that he wasn’t sure if he would be attending the White House if the Patriots won. “I don’t know, I’ve got to win the Super Bowl,” Bennett said. “But most likely no. I don’t support the guy that’s in the (White) House.”
After the game, Bennett confirmed as much. He added that he wasn’t worried about how Kraft, the Patriots’ owner and friend of Trump, felt about it.
Feb. 7 — Devin McCourty says that he will join Bennett
The Patriots’ defensive back had protested with Bennett earlier in the season with a raised fist during the national anthem, and was the first to step up by saying he would skip the White House visit.
”Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House,” McCourty told Time magazine. “With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.
“I can’t imagine a way I go there,” he added.
Feb. 8 — Dont’a Hightower won’t visit because he’s “been there, done that”
Hightower threw his name into the ring the day after McCourty, but didn’t cite Trump as the reason he was going to skip out on the opportunity.
Hightower also didn’t go to the Patriots’ victory parade on Tuesday.
Feb. 9 — Chris Long says he had already planned on skipping
A New York Daily News writer wrote an open letter to Long, which he didn’t seem to appreciate too much because of assumptions made in the letter.
Long confirmed that he had already planned on not attending, but hadn’t said anything up until that particular tweet.
Feb. 9 — LeGarrette Blount says he won’t be going
Blount becomes the fifth Patriot to say he won’t be going to the White House, and the fourth to cite Trump for his reasoning, from the Rich Eisen Show.
April 18 - Patriots defensive lineman Alan Branch says Trump’s sexist remarks made him skip
Branch told the Boston Globe, “I have three daughters. 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.” Branch added, “I can’t see myself going and then hanging out with my kids and pretending everything was all right.”
Initially, Branch had not cited Trump as his reasoning, but rather saying he was just going to spend time with his family.
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