Revealed: When Philadelphia Eagles will visit the White House after team accepted Trump's invitation

• e-mail

The date of the Philadelphia Eagles' trip to the White House to commemorate their Super Bowl LIX victory has been confirmed. 

After officially accepting Donald Trump's invitation to Washington DC, the reigning Super Bowl champions are set to visit on April 28, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday. 

'I know there was a lot of fake news about an invitation that was or wasn't sent, we want to correct the record.' Leavitt said. 'We sent an invitation and they enthusiastically accepted and you will see them on April 28.' 

Following their victory - a resounding 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs - there had been speculation that the Eagles would turn down the traditional audience with the president at the White House.

But it later emerged that the team would be 'honored' to visit Trump's White House with the president subsequently instructing his aides to send the invitation at the end of last month. 

It will mark the team’s first visit to the White House during a Trump presidency after an invitation during the president’s first term ended in controversy.

After their 2018 Super Bowl win - their first in franchise history - some Eagles players said they wouldn't attend the White House celebration because of Trump’s criticism of football players who kneeled or raised their fists during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality.

The date of the Philadelphia Eagles' visit to the White House has been confirmed 

The organization 'enthusiastically' accepted the invitation extended by the President 

At a 2017 rally, Trump said that the protests were 'hurting the game,' and said NFL owners should fire players who did so.

Malcolm Jenkins, then of the Eagles, was among the NFL players at the time to protest, as he would raise his fist during the anthem. Rodney McLeod did the same.

Ultimately, the Eagles had decided on sending a small group of less than 10 players - as NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported at the time.

In response, Trump rescinded the invite to the team and held a patriotic celebration instead.

Trump had become the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl after jetting into New Orleans to catch the NFL's showdown last month. 

However, the president left Caesar's Superdome - before the game even finished - sorely disappointed . 

He revealed ahead of the game that he would be rooting for the Chiefs, despite his feud with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce's girlfriend, Taylor Swift. 

Trump had to watch on as his favored team was routed 40-22 and the Eagles sealed revenge for their Super Bowl LVII loss at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and co. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the visit during Tuesday's briefing 

In addition to his support of the Chiefs in the NFL season finale, Trump also praised Kansas City quarterback Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, the latter of whom ' liked' a pair of Trump-related social media posts during the campaign .

'I want to thank beautiful Brittany Mahomes for so strongly defending me, and the fact that MAGA is the greatest and most powerful Political Movement in the History of our now Failing Country,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social network ahead of his electoral victory over Kamala Harris in November.

The Hunt family, which owns the Chiefs, also has a history of supporting conservative causes.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, on the other hand, has a record of supporting left-leaning politicians, such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, although he previously donated to Republicans George W. Bush and Arlen Specter as well.