UFC chief Dana White unleashed a brutal reality check on sports teams that snub the White House, calling out their refusal to celebrate victories with the President.
Trump's tumultuous relationship with championship teams has been marked by numerous refusals and cancellations during his presidency. The Golden State Warriors set the tone in 2017, famously skipping their White House visit after winning the NBA title, following Steph Curry's public rejection of the invitation.
Trump preemptively withdrew the invite, leaving the Warriors without a chance to decide. The team also skipped the 2018 celebration, with head coach Steve Kerr openly criticizing the administration. This came on the heels of a humiliating moment for FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, who was caught pleading with Trump, only to be ignored.
The Philadelphia Eagles faced a similar fate in 2018 when several players opted out of their Super Bowl victory celebration. Trump canceled the event after it became clear that only a handful of players would attend.
The U.S. women's national soccer team also rejected a White House visit after their 2019 World Cup win, with players like Megan Rapinoe voicing their opposition. They never made the traditional trip.
The Toronto Raptors, 2019 NBA champions, followed suit, declining an invitation during Trump's first term, continuing the trend of NBA champions avoiding the White House.
During Trump's second term, the Oklahoma City Thunder became one of the first major champions to skip a visit after winning the NBA title, citing scheduling conflicts.
The U.S. women's national ice hockey team also turned down an invitation during Trump's presidency for similar reasons. Despite internal disagreements, some teams still attended.
The New England Patriots visited the White House after their Super Bowl wins during Trump's first term, although several players chose to stay away.
When the Philadelphia Eagles returned as champions in 2025, they made the visit, but notable absences included quarterback Jalen Hurts.
White, a longtime friend of Trump and host of the Freedom 250 event at the White House, criticized teams for rejecting invitations to celebrate in the nation's capital.
He stated that it would have been equally wrong to decline an invitation during Joe Biden's presidency. “I don’t understand these teams that didn’t want to go to the White House. It is not about politics. Everybody knows how tight my relationship is with President Trump,” White declared on The Pivot Podcast.
“It happened during the Biden administration; they say, 'He’s not my President.' I have some bad news for you — if he is the President of the United States, he is your president.”
“I respect the position, no matter who it is. You’re never going to agree with 100 percent of a president’s politics, but the majority of Americans in this country voted this person into office.”
This comes after Trump faced humiliation from a World Cup star in a moment caught on camera.
