Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks made the trip to the White House on Monday, despite several of his teammates opting out.
He later took to social media to compliment Donald Trump‘s daughter, calling her “beautiful.” A significant number of the Eagles team were missing as their Super Bowl victory was celebrated by Trump at the White House.
A government representative attributed the absences primarily to “scheduling conflicts.” Trump praised quarterback Jalen Hurts, even though the Super Bowl MVP was not in attendance, and awkwardly confessed that he had predicted the Kansas City Chiefs would beat the Eagles.
The event was particularly significant for younger players like Ricks, who are relatively new to the NFL. However, upon meeting Ivanka Trump, Ricks couldn’t resist expressing his admiration for her beauty. He even went as far as to say she was his “type” in a series of unexpected social media posts.
Ricks shared a photo on his Instagram story from inside the White House, where he is seen raising his fist in imitation of Trump. The selfie was taken against the backdrop of a famous image of the President, taken after he survived an assassination attempt before being re-elected.
Ricks’ apparent admiration for President Trump was outshone by his awe for the First Daughter upon leaving the White House. “Donald Trump daughter is beautiful damn,” he gushed on social media before adding: “After seeing her in person Ivanka is exactly my type.”
The posts immediately caught fire online, with fans alternately cheering on Ricks’ boldness and reeling from his candor. Comments also highlighted Ivanka Trump’s age – 43 and married to businessman Jared Kushner – as a stark contrast to 23-year-old Ricks.
Yet for the Eagles, it was a victory of sorts with a strong showing even though notable players including Hurts did not take part; A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith among others withheld their presence.
Saquon Barkley found himself at the center of controversy for engaging with President Trump a day prior to the official visit. Captured at Trump’s New Jersey golf course on Sunday, then heading to the White House, Barkley defended his actions amidst the uproar.
“Lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley posted on X. “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! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”
Trump revealed that he told the New York Giants not to let Barkley leave in free agency. “By the way, I have to tell you something,” Trump said at the White House.
“I was with the Giants and the head coach, and some people, and I said, ‘Do anything you have to but don’t lose Saquon.’ They lost Saquon. That was not good.
“I called that one, that was an easy one to call as he played damn well for the Giants I can tell you that. But, he made the right decision because it is a team sport and he has great people in this team.”
Barkley left the Giants after they refused to meet his salary demands and joined NFC East rivals the Eagles ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He went on to be named Offensive Player of the Year after becoming the ninth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season and led the Eagles to the championship.
