The New England Patriots have yet to visit the White House nearly nine months after winning the Super Bowl and are unlikely to do so.
The White House and the NFL team blamed the lack of a congratulatory ceremony on scheduling conflicts, the New York Times reported. Both sides said it has nothing to do with politics.
But three players — Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, and Duron Harmon — said after their win they would skip any celebration at the White House.
President Trump has had an otherwise cozy relationship with the team. Robert Kraft, the team’s owner, is a friend and supporter of the president. Coach Bill Belichick has also been supportive of Trump, and Trump has bragged about his friendship with quarterback Tom Brady.
The Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams in February to take home their sixth Super Bowl win. The team has visited the White House after their five previous victories. Four of those visits happened in April and the other took place in May.
A visit was originally planned for April, but fell through. The celebration was then scheduled for May but canceled due to a change in Trump’s schedule.
Time is running out for the team to celebrate with the president as the new NFL season approaches and the team’s schedule picks up.
“We would welcome them to the White House in the future should a future date work out,” a White House spokesman said.
