Fernando Mendoza, the number one selection in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, made headlines recently for his decision to skip the Indiana Hoosiers’ championship celebration at the White House on May 11, 2026.
Although he is the face of Indiana’s undefeated national championship run, Mendoza prioritized his professional obligations, opting to remain in Henderson, Nevada, for the start of the NFL offseason program instead of attending the long-held tradition of championship-winning teams.
During the visitation, President Donald Trump expressed that he was “not happy” with Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
“…that’s OK,” Trump said. “The reason he didn’t [come] is because he’s at spring training, right?”
While Mendoza may have cited that he missed the White House due to football reasons, there have been several Black athletes across the sports landscape who have publicly made it known that they had no plans to visit Trump, breaking with the tradition. Whether it was Trump’s first or second term, these Black Athletes refused to visit the White House.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors (2017)
Following the Golden State Warriors’ 2017 NBA championship, Steph Curry stated his intention to vote against the team’s traditional visit to the White House. Curry stated that he wanted to send a message that the players did not “stand for” the President’s rhetoric or policies. “Somebody asked me about (going to the White House) a couple of months ago, like a hypothetical, if the championship were to happen, would I do it, and I think I answered ‘I wouldn’t go’. I still feel like that today,” Curry said at the time.
In response, Donald Trump disinvited Curry and the Warriors, writing on social media, “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating; the invitation is withdrawn! “
On January 17, 2023, Curry and the Warriors celebrated their 2022 NBA championship by visiting President Joe Biden at the White House.
A’Ja Wilson & USC Women’s Basketball Team (2017)
After leading the University of South Carolina to their first national championship, led by national player of the year A’Ja Wilson in April 2017, head coach Dawn Staley said she would follow tradition and visit the White House. However, the visit never happened due to a lack of an official invitation. By September 2017, Staley noted that other championship teams like the Clemson football team had already visited the White House, saying it “spoke volumes.” Following an invitation that was extended in November 2017 for a mass reception of college athletes, Staley and the Gamecocks officially declined. She said that the offer came too late and that the team had moved on and had “bigger fish to fry than worry about an invitation.” This break in tradition marked the first time since 1983 that the women’s NCAA basketball champions did not visit the White House, a streak that was only reversed for the program in 2022 when they visited President Joe Biden following their second title.
Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles (2018 )
After the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LII victory, their scheduled visit to the White House in June 2018 was abruptly canceled by Donald Trump. The cancellation took place less than 24 hours before it was set to occur. The decision came after only about 10 players planned to attend. “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. 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,” Trump said at the time. ” Many of the players, led by Malcolm Jenkins, were extremely vocal critics of the administration’s stance on social justice issues and the national anthem.
Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles (2025)
After the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory in Super Bowl LIX, superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts was the most high-profile absence during the team’s visit to the White House on April 28, 2025. While the team’s invitation was “enthusiastically accepted” by team owner Jeffrey Lurie, he noted the trip as optional for all players and staff. Hurts, who had previously avoided questions about his attendance at the TIME100 Gala with a long, awkward silence, claimed “scheduling conflicts” for his decision to miss the event. Star wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were also notably absent.
