Tom Brady Talks Skipping White House Visit: “If people don’t want to go, they don’t want to go and that’s their choice”

It’s been a week since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots overcame the largest deficit in Super Bowl history to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. Since then, six Patriots players have declined their invitation to the White House. Although the presidential visit has become tradition for champions in their respective sports, this is not the first-time players have opted out of the visit.

In fact, according to The Week, 18 athletes, from Larry Bird and Michael Jordan to Matt Birk and Brady, have skipped the traditional visit. Some for political reasons or family obligations, while others just didn’t feel like going.

This year, a few of the ballers citied political differences. Many felt that they didn’t belong in the White House since Trump moved in. On the other hand, this year’s Super Bowl MVP feels the visits were “never really a political thing” to begin with.  

Brady met with Mike Florio on Tuesday, during an appearance on PFT Live. There, the two discussed his take on skipping out on the White House visit.

“It really is a great experience. Pulling politics aside, it never really was a political thing for me,” Brady, who skipped New England’s 2015 Super Bowl championship visit to the White House, said. “It was always something that was a privilege to do because it means you won a championship and get to experience something cool with your teammate.”

“Everyone has their own choices. It’s the offseason. These days are valuable to everybody. You only get so much time with your family and friends. If people don’t want to go, they don’t want to go and that’s their choice.”

During the interview, Brady maintained that he had a family responsibility during the 2015 visit to meet with President Obama.