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UFC chief Dana White has issued a brutal Donald Trump reality check to sports teams that turn down the opportunity to visit the White House to celebrate their successes.
Trump's relationship with championship teams visiting the White House has been complicated throughout his two presidential terms, with several franchises either declining invitations or seeing planned visits collapse amid political tensions. During his first term, the Golden State Warriors became one of the most prominent teams to skip the traditional celebration after winning the 2017 NBA title.
Steph Curry publicly said he did not want to attend, prompting Trump to withdraw the invitation before the team could decide. The Warriors did not visit after their 2018 championship either, and head coach Steve Kerr has been a staunch critic of the administration.
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The Philadelphia Eagles faced a similar situation in 2018 after several players indicated they would not attend their White House ceremony following their Super Bowl victory.
Trump ultimately canceled the event, saying the team would not be welcome after it became clear only a small number of players planned to attend.
The U.S. women's national soccer team also opted against a White House visit after winning the 2019 World Cup. Several players, including Megan Rapinoe, had publicly expressed opposition to attending, and the team never made the traditional trip.
The Toronto Raptors, who won the 2019 NBA championship, also did not visit the White House during Trump's first term. The team did not accept an invitation for a ceremony, continuing a trend of NBA champions skipping the event during that period.
During Trump's second term, the Oklahoma City Thunder became one of the first major champions to decline a visit. After winning the NBA title, the team chose not to make the trip, citing scheduling issues.
The U.S. women's national ice hockey team also declined an invitation during Trump's second presidency, citing scheduling conflicts. Other teams have attended despite internal disagreements.
The New England Patriots visited the White House after their Super Bowl victories during Trump's first term, although several players chose not to attend.
Similarly, when the Philadelphia Eagles returned as champions in 2025, the team made the visit, but several players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, were absent.
UFC chief and longtime friend of Trump, White, who recently hosted the Freedom 250 card on the South Lawn of the White House, slammed sports teams for snubbing the invite to the nation’s capital to celebrate.
White went so far as to say that it would also have been wrong to decline while Joe Biden was President. “I don’t understand these teams that didn’t want to go to the White House. It is not about politics. Everybody knows how tight my relationship is with President Trump,” White said on The Pivot Podcast.
“It happened during the Biden administration, they say, 'He's not my President'. I have some bad news for you — if he is the President of the United States, he is your president.
“I respect the position, no matter who it is. You’re never going to agree with 100 percent of a president’s politics, but the majority of Americans in this country voted this person into office.”
