Philly mayor has choice words for Trump after canceling Eagles visit: He's a 'fragile egomaniac'

(Image credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

last updated 5 June 2018

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney went for the jugular on Monday night, ripping into President Trump for his decision to disinvite the Philadelphia Eagles from the White House.

The Eagles were supposed to visit the White House on Tuesday in honor of their Super Bowl win earlier this year, but several players made it clear in advance they weren't going to attend the ceremony. Trump's cancelation "only proves that our president is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend," Kenney said in a statement. His chief of staff, Jane Slusser, made a similar point on Twitter.

Trump may have squashed the visit, but Kenney noted that he can't take away any of the team's accomplishments. "Fans all across the country rallied behind them because we like to root for the underdog and we feel joy when we see the underdogs finally win," he said. "I'm equally proud of the Eagles' activism off the field. These are players who stand up for the causes they believe in and who contribute in meaningful ways to their community. They represent the diversity of our nation — a nation in which we are free to express our opinions."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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