Saquon Barkley 'can understand' backlash for his Trump hangout, 'glad' Giants stars worked out differences

Days earlier the Super Bowl LIX-winning Philadelphia Eagles paid a sojourn to the White House to observe their title, prima moving backmost Saquon Barkley took it a measurement further.

Fresh disconnected a 2,000-yard run to beryllium named the Offensive Player of the Year, Barkley rode Air Force One and spent a time with President Donald Trump astatine his play people successful Bedminster, New Jersey.

Barkley received rather the blowback but defended himself astatine the time.

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President Donald Trump walks with Philadelphia Eagles moving backmost Saquon Barkley earlier boarding Air Force One astatine Morristown Municipal Airport successful Morristown, New Jersey, connected April 27, 2025. Trump was returning to Washington from his residence successful Bedminster, New Jersey, aft traveling to Rome for the ceremonial of Pope Francis. (AFP via Getty Images)

"lol immoderate radical are truly upset origin I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT," Barkley posted to X astatine the time. "Maybe I conscionable respect the office, not a hard conception to understand. Just golfed with Obama not excessively agelong ago… and look guardant to finishing my circular with Trump ! Now ya get retired my mentions with each this authorities and person astonishing day."

New York Giants backmost Jaxson Dart introduced Trump astatine a New York lawsuit successful May and received akin criticism. As idiosyncratic with experience, Barkley learned the hard mode that "you got to enactment distant from politics."

"You're not going to win. I played play with the president of the United States of America, Mr. Trump, and I played with Barack Obama, and the 1 time I play with Trump, each these brainsick things were said astir me, and present I'm this person, I'm that person, and I don't align – immoderate of the worldly that I don't adjacent align with. But it's just, arsenic an athlete, you know, you're not going to win. You're not going to triumph connected that..." Barkley told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

President Donald Trump greets Philadelphia Eagles moving backmost Saquon Barkley astatine a White House lawsuit welcoming the 2025 Super Bowl champion Eagles connected the South Lawn successful Washington, D.C., connected April 28, 2025. Trump honored the Eagles aft their 2nd Super Bowl victory. (Getty Images)

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"That was a determination that I made and I got a batch of backlash for it. I tin recognize wherefore I got backlash for it. I don't deliberation the things that were said astir maine is true. I cognize it's not true. It's a batch of worldly that - conscionable because, you know, I don't get into, like, you got to beryllium this mode oregon that way. Just due to the fact that you played play with the president of United States doesn't marque you this. Just due to the fact that you played play with Barack Obama don't marque you this, but successful the satellite that we unrecorded in, the chaos that we unrecorded in, you're either this oregon you're that. And that's conscionable truthful acold from the truth. But astatine the extremity of the day, I was blessed with a beauteous chill opportunity."

Several teams, astir notably successful the NBA, person skipped retired connected the White House visit, but a D.C. travel for champions is each Barkley has ever known.

"You whitethorn not get that accidental again, and it's nary warrant that we're going to triumph a Super Bowl again, and if we triumph a Super Bowl, increasing up my full life, what bash you do? You triumph a Super Bowl, you spell to the White House, you correspond your team," helium said.

Barkley was offered a presumption connected Trump's Council connected Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition but declined.

The disapproval Dart received, however, wasn't conscionable from the outside, but besides his ain locker room. Defensive lineman Abdul Carter said helium thought the video of them 2 was "AI," adding, "What are we doing man?" Carter and Dart told reporters they discussed the substance and adjacent hugged it retired aft they spoke to the media astir the ordeal.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with New York Giants backmost Jaxson Dart arsenic helium arrives to talk astatine Rockland Community College successful Suffern, N.Y., connected May 22, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)

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Barkley said helium adjacent talked to Dart astir the concern and praised the Giants stars for having conversations with 1 another.

"I'm gladsome him everything that went implicit determination successful New York, they enactment that successful the past and get backmost to ball," Barkley said.

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