Eagles Players React To White House Visit Cancelation

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles were set to visit the White House on Tuesday for a Super Bowl celebration. Well, at least some of them. Reportedly, less than 10 were planning stop by to see President Donald Trump.

But the Trump Administration canceled the team's visit Monday evening, saying the fans planning to attend the celebration honoring the Super Bowl champions deserved better.

Tuesday, the administration accused players who said they would not attend the event of abandoning fans.

"The Eagles offered to send only a tiny handful of representatives, while making clear that the great majority of players would not attend the event, despite planning to be in D.C. today," Tuesday's statement reads. "In other words, the vast majority of the Eagles team decided to abandon their fans."

Some of the team's more vocal players had something to say about the cancelation.

The first to take umbrage with the statement issued was wide receiver Torrey Smith, who accused the administration of lying.

"So many lies smh," Smith Tweeted Monday evening. "Here are some facts 1. Not many people were going to go2. No one refused to go simply because Trump 'insists' folks stand for the anthem 3. The President continues to spread the false narrative that players are anti military."

>>>RELATED: Trump Cancels Eagles White House Visit

Smith went on to call the cancelation "cowardly" and debunked any claim that Eagles players kneeled in the 2017-2018 season, saying none of the players kneeled during the National Anthem last season.

Tuesday morning, Smith called out Trump for an early 2018 incident where it appeared Trump did not know the words to the National Anthem. "Make sure you know the words, stand tall, and aren’t twiddling your fingers around like a kid that can’t wait for it to end."

While tight end Zach Ertz didn't take on the administration, he did take on Fox News, which ran a segment Monday night featuring photos of Eagles players kneeling. Ertz took umbrage with the photos, as many of them were from players praying.

"Praying before games with my teammates, well before the anthem, is being used for your propaganda," Ertz Tweeted. "Just sad, I feel like you guys should have to be better than this..."

Chris Long, the Birds' defensive end, joined Ertz in lambasting the network and didn't mince words.

"Imagine wanting to please the boss so very badly that you run stills of guys knelt down PRAYING during pregame," Long said on the social media site. "Not one Eagles player knelt for the anthem this yr."

Long said most players said they weren't planning to attend well before the NFL unveiled its new policy on the National Anthem, which will fine teams for players who kneel during the song.

"It wasn’t discussed once in our meetings about the visit," he said.

Fox News has since issued an apology on the images used during its segment on the White House visit.

"During our report about President Trump canceling the Philadelphia Eagles trip to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl win, we showed unrelated footage of players kneeling in prayer," executive producer Christopher Wallace said in a statement. "To clarify, no members of the team kneels in protest during the national anthem throughout regular or post-season last year. We apologize for the error."

Malcolm Jenkins, one of the team's most vocal and active social justice proponent, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon lauding his teammates off-the-field efforts and echoed Smith's comments accusing the administration of lying.

"... The decision was made to lie," he said of the visit being canceled, "and paint the picture that these players are anti-America, anti-flag and anti-military."

Jenkins said in his statement that courage is needed to tell the truth, regardless if the truth is difficult to accept. Jenkins tweeted his statement with the hashtag "TheFightContinues."

Former Eagle and current NFL analyst Chris Carter had an interesting take on the White House visit news.

"President Obama should invite the Eagles to his house for a barbecue," Carter tweeted shortly after the enws broke Monday.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 21: Torrey Smith #82 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after scoring his third quarter touchdown reception against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)