TAYLOR, Pa. -- The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will not pay the traditional visit to the White House, President Donald Trump announced on Monday.
The visit was scheduled for Tuesday.
The Eagles upset win over the New England Patriots back in February gave the franchise its first ever Super Bowl championship. It also sent football fans into a frenzy throughout the entire Philadelphia region.
Next up for the Eagles was the traditional visit of the Super Bowl champions to the White House.
But less than 24 hours from the scheduled ceremony, President Trump issued a statement, saying the Eagles are "unable to attend with their full team" because "they disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country."
Several Eagles players, including Chris Long and Malcolm Jenkins, had reportedly said they wouldn't visit the White House. Now none of them will.
Democrat Brendan Boyle, a congressman from Philadelphia, tweeted in response to the president.
"Hey @realdonaldtrump it's one thing to be wrong on policy, but to take on my @Eagles is a whole new level. You even make a championship team visiting the White House all about you. What is wrong with you? Seriously, what condition do you have?"
Newswatch 16 visited the Taylor VFW in Lackawanna County for reaction.
"He wanted to stop it before they could stop the visit. It's proactive on his part because he knows no one respects him and why would you?" said Chuck Donachie of Scranton.
"If I'm making $25 million a year, do I really care to go meet the president? No. 30 years ago, yeah maybe it would be cool, but no, I don't think the president cares, and I don't think the players really care," said Joseph Orr of Taylor.
The president says Eagles fans are still invited for what he calls a different type of ceremony. He said he'll be at the White House at 3 p.m. with the U.S. Marine Corps band to "loudly and proudly play the national anthem."
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Scranton, invited the Eagles to visit Capitol Hill.