Trump congratulated the Philadelphia Eagles on their 41-33 Super Bowl LII win against the New England Patriots.
Trump kept it simple, writing: "Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on a great Super Bowl victory!"
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on a great Super Bowl victory!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018
Trump is a longtime friend to Patriots owner Robert Kraft and received a Super Bowl ring as a gift from Kraft last year. The Patriots visited Trump at the White House last April -- the first professional team to visit under the Trump administration. The president is also a friend to Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who wrote a letter to Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Hours before the Super Bowl, Trump released a statement thanking members of the military for their service. He included a line about standing for the national anthem, which appeared to reference player protests throughout the NFL this season.
At a September political rally in Alabama, Trump used an expletive to describe players who protest during the anthem, leading to widespread demonstrations throughout the NFL as players took a knee or raised a fist to bring attention to racial inequality and police brutality. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the protest movement last season.
During last week's State of the Union address, Trump seemed to take a shot at the NFL when he mentioned "why we proudly stand for the national anthem."