This was the first visit by an NFL team to the White House since 2017; Then-President Donald Trump withdrew the Eagles’ invitation in 2018, the Patriots chose not to participate in 2019, and the Kansas City chiefs never made it to Washington in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The White House welcomed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl champion on Tuesday with a visit to President Joe Biden.
Then-President Donald Trump withdrew an invitation from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, New England patriots chose not to participate in 2019, and Kansas City chiefs never arrived in Washington, D.C. in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also represents seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady’s first visit to the White House since 2005. He missed the Patriots’ trips in 2015 and 2017, the first with Barack Obama in power and the second with Trump.
Brady, who called Trump a “good friend” but tried to avoid revealing his political orientation, joked with President Biden during a visit on Tuesday about Biden defeating Trump in the 2020 election.
“Not many people think that we could win. In fact, I think about 40 percent of the people still don’t think we won, ”Brady said, referring to the efforts of some Republicans to investigate vote rigging and even reverse the election result.
“I understand that,” Biden interjected.
The Buccaneers won their second Super Bowl in franchise history that same season when they added 43-year-old Brady, who went free agent after 20 seasons with New England. Brady will be 44 when he leads the Bucks for the 2021 season.
