LeGarrette Blount to boycott Patriots White House visit
By mdelaney
President Donald Trump’s controversial platform has left many athletes unwilling to visit the White House on their team’s behalf, including New England running back LeGarrette Blount.
During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show on Thursday, New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount said he will not attend the trip to the White House with his team as part of winning the Super Bowl.
Blount’s stance doesn’t come as a surprise. In the days following New England’s Super Bowl LI victory multiple players came out and said they would forgo the trip. Originally it was tight end Martellus Bennett and soon after Patriot’s safety Devin McCourty who both acknowledged it was out of protest against Trump’s presidency. Earlier today
"I will NOT be going to the White House. I don't feel welcome in that house. I'll leave it at that." -@LG_Blount
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 9, 2017
Earlier in the day, news broke of two more Patriots, linebacker Dont’a Hightower and defensive end Chris Long will not be making the trip as well. However, not for the same reasons. For Hightower it’s simply because he’s “been there, done that,” while Long declared his reason after being called out in an open letter from New York Daily News‘ Chuck Modiano.
Athletes across all leagues have avoided presidential visits before, but the motives then weren’t as clear as they have been now. Like Blount, Bennett and McCourty who are also boycotting the trip, a lot of athletes don’t feel they’re truly accepted in the White House under the Trump administration.
Other big-name superstars like the NBA’s LeBron James and Stephen Curry have openly jeered Trump, with notable NBA coaches such as Golden State’s Steve Kerr and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich taking shots at the president as well.
Trump ran a campaign and is currently orchestrating a presidency that’s myopically focused on returning the country to a nostalgic greatness. The only problem is Trump’s definition of “greatness” appears to exclude a number of Americans.
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For those athletes who feel left out of the president’s vision and are offered a chance to meet Trump, many may choose to abstain like five members of the Patriots. Given the official visit won’t take place until later this offseason, expect more Patriots to punt on their opportunity to meet Trump.