Trump could be risking electoral politics in Eagles feud

In taking a stand against the Philadelphia Eagles, President Trump might also be crossing Eagles’ voters in a key swing state.

The president, who disinvited the Super Bowl champions to a White House celebration Tuesday, carried Pennsylvania by less than 45,000 votes in 2016. That’s about two-thirds of the capacity of Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles.

“There’s likely to be a political downside for the president,” said G. Terry Madonna, director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll and professor of Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. “I do think on balance it probably hurts the president more than it hurts the Eagles, given the huge amount of support base that they have.”

Pennsylvania tends to vote Democratic in presidential elections. Until Mr. Trump’s stunning victory there against Hillary Clinton two years ago, Democrats had carried the state in the previous six presidential contents, usually by relatively narrow margins.

Sports fans in Pennsylvania also have been known to hold a grudge. Republican Gov. Tom Corbett lost his re-election bid in 2014 after angering Penn State fans who viewed the governor as supporting the firing of legendary football coach Joe Paterno in the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal. It wasn’t the only reason Mr. Corbett lost in a year when other state GOP candidates did well, but Mr. Madonna and other political analysts believe it was a contributing factor.

Mr. Madonna said he thinks the president would have done better to simply host the 10 or so Eagles players and coaches who wanted to attend the White House ceremony.

“By allowing the nine or 10 to show up and by heaping praise on the team, I think the president would have helped himself a lot more than by simply disinviting them,” he said. “Rise above it and turn it into an advantage and move on.”

In announcing Monday night that the team was no longer invited, Mr. Trump said he felt it was important to uphold American values.

“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,” Mr. Trump said.

No Eagles players knelt in protest during the national anthem last season, although many of them said they didn’t want to attend the White House event due to the president’s ongoing clash with NFL players who did protest.

A Republican lawmaker from the Philadelphia suburbs, Rep. Ryan Costello, said Mr. Trump handled the matter “poorly.”

“Eagles my fave team,” Mr. Costello tweeted. “Super Bowl win so meaningful as Philly sports fan. POTUS handled poorly. This is a depressing commentary on our political culture, very deflating to me. Was really excited for today. As a fan who bleeds green. Not going to WH. Disappointed in all of this.”