*Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley found himself at the center of a heated social media storm after being spotted golfing with President Donald Trump just one day before the Eagles’ scheduled White House visit.
Images of Barkley and Trump stepping off Marine One in New Jersey, followed by a photo of the pair seated at a table, quickly made the rounds online. The optics sparked outrage among many users who interpreted Barkley’s outing as a tacit endorsement of Trump.
Trump, in a brief remark to reporters, referred to Barkley as “a nice guy” and joked, “I wanted to race him, but I decided not to do it.”
As The Blast reports, criticism came swiftly and fiercely. One X (formerly Twitter) user didn’t hold back, stating: “This is Saquon Barkley CHOOSING to endorse a rapist. A person who was found LIABLE of RAPE. No ‘alleged,’ no ‘ifs,’ it’s a fact.” The same user accused Barkley of aligning with policies they believe have caused harm: “That’s apart from the other cases and the laws he promoted, which have MURDERED many women.”
Others echoed the sentiment. “Hanging out with Trump, who is a disgrace to this country,” one person wrote. Another post read: “Dudes like Saquon Barkley are embarrassing as f-ck. Like, I wouldn’t be able to face my family no matter how rich I was.”
Scroll to continue reading
Not all feedback was critical. Some users defended Barkley’s actions, casting the backlash as politically motivated. One supporter argued: “The left doesn’t want to see a black man think or act for himself. Now they will come for you. Keep the energy you currently have and remember, never ever apologize to these people.” Another commented: “Only Democrats aka the party of peace and acceptance will cancel you for a thing like this. Shows their true colors.” A third X user noted, “If you now “dislike” Saquon Barkley because he went to the White House or hung with Trump…OR…. “Like” Jalen Hurts less because he DIDNT go….The Matrix HAS YOU.”
Barkley, meanwhile, didn’t remain silent. Responding to the criticism on X, he posted: “Lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT.” He followed up, saying: “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump!” He closed with: “Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”
Saquon Barkley with Donald Trump ahead of the Eagles visit to the White House tomorrow
(Pic via @NFL_DovKleiman) pic.twitter.com/liJBdCkjpQ
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) April 27, 2025
Despite his attempt to quell the backlash, some voices, like political commentator Roland Martin, called out Barkley for what they consider ignorance about Trump’s record.
“Well @saquon, you should have told @realDonaldTrump to respect other presidents, women and others,” Martin tweeted. “Did you tell him how he disrespected the office by leading the Jan. 6 insurrection? Did you tell him how he LIED about the 2020 election being rigged? Be better informed, bruh.”
NFL superstar, Saquon Barkley, seen exiting Marine One with Trump.
This might seem small, but stuff like this goes a long way.
The media-driven stigma around Trump is fading, and the public are no longer afraid to support Trump.
We are healing.
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) April 27, 2025
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Jalen Hurts Skips Philadelphia Eagles’ White House Visit with Donald Trump | WATCH
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
