President Trump urged Americans to respect the national anthem at a last-minute event Tuesday that White House officials hastily organized after he rescinded an invitation for the Philadelphia Eagles to visit.
The “Celebration of America” event was added to the president’s schedule late Monday night, after Trump revealed the Eagles would no longer be visiting him in Washington. Trump initially claimed the team declined to come because some players disagreed with his insistence “that they proudly stand for the National Anthem.” However, the White House issued a follow-up statement on Tuesday citing scheduling conflicts and lack of interest among the team as its reasons for withdrawing the invitation.
Hundreds of administration officials, White House aides, and previously invited Eagles fans instead gathered on the South Lawn Tuesday afternoon to hear Trump reaffirm his position on respecting the national anthem.
“We stand to honor our military and to honor our country… and to honor our fallen heroes who never made it back home,” the president said in prepared remarks that lasted just about four minutes. “We stand to pay tribute to the incredible Americans who came before us and the heroic sacrifices they made.”
At least one heckler, who shouted about players’ rights to protest, was booed by attendees of the event. The heckler declined to provide reporters his name.
Others, including Eagles fans who attended the brief event, admitted they were disappointed by the team’s absence but decided to show up anyway out of support for the president’s message.
“I’m here for the president and the flag even if the Eagles can’t make it,” said Diane McGraw, a Pennsylvania resident whose late husband Tug McGraw was a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.
McGraw said she was invited to the event by the Pennsylvania delegation.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was also present for the celebration, which included several performances by the U.S. Marine Corps Band. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Zinke said he was proud of the national anthem and of the president’s emphasis on it. He declined to say whether he would have been disappointed had his favorite NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks, been asked to visit the White House only to be dis-invited days before the event.
Trump first criticized professional sports players for protesting the anthem during a campaign rally in Alabama last fall. He plans to continue making an issue of the protests ahead of the midterm elections this fall, believing it riles up his base and could help Republican candidates, a White House confidante told the Associated Press on Tuesday.