Saquon Barkley discusses backlash from Trump den and Giants situation

Days before the Super Bowl LIX-winning Philadelphia Eagles headed to the White House to celebrate their title, star running back Saquon Barkley took it one step further.

Fresh off a 2,000-yard campaign to be named Offensive Player of the Year, Barkley flew Air Force One and spent a day with President Donald Trump at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Barkley received some serious blowback but fought back at the time.

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“Lol, some people are really upset because I played golf and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley posted on X at the time. “Maybe I just respect the office, it’s not a hard concept to understand. I just played golf with Obama not too long ago…and I can’t wait to finish my round with Trump! Now take out my endorsements with all this politics and have an amazing day.”

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduced Trump at an event in New York in May and received similar criticism. As an experienced person, Barkley learned the hard way that “you have to stay out of politics.”

“You’re not going to win. I played golf with the President of the United States of America, Mr. Trump, and I played with Barack Obama, and the day I played with Trump, all these crazy things were said about me, and now I’m this person, I’m that person, and I don’t align – some things I don’t even align with. But it’s just that as an athlete, you know, you’re not going to You’re not going to win with that…” Barkley told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.

President Donald Trump greets Philadelphia Eagles returning Saquon Barkley during a White House event welcoming the 2025 Super Bowl champion Eagles to the South Lawn in Washington, DC, April 28, 2025. Trump honored the Eagles after their second Super Bowl victory. (Getty Images)

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“It’s a decision that I made and I received a lot of backlash. I can understand why I received backlash. I don’t think the things that have been said about me are true. I know it’s not true. There are a lot of things that – just because, you know, I don’t care about that, you have to be like this or like that. Just because you played golf with the President of the United States doesn’t mean you’re like It’s not because you played golf with Barack Obama.”

Several teams, notably from the NBA, missed the visit to the White House, but a trip to Washington for the champions is all Barkley has ever known.

“You may not get this opportunity again, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll win a Super Bowl again. If we win a Super Bowl, growing up my whole life, what do you do? You win a Super Bowl, you go to the White House, you represent your team,” he said.

Barkley was offered a position on Trump’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, but declined.

However, the criticism Dart received didn’t just come from outside, but also from within his own locker room. Defensive lineman Abdul Carter said he thought the video of the two of them was “AI,” adding, “What are we doing man?” Carter and Dart told reporters they discussed the issue and even hugged him after speaking to the media about the ordeal.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as he arrives to speak at Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., May 22, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)

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Barkley said he even talked to Dart about the situation and praised the Giants stars for having conversations with each other.

“I’m glad that whatever happened there in New York, they put that in the past and are getting back into the game,” Barkley said.