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“The View” co-hosts fretted over the New York Knicks owner accepting an invitation for the team to go to the White House, arguing it put too much pressure on the players.
“This puts the players in a precarious position merely because Jim Dolan is admittedly a good friend of Donald Trump’s and to now put that on the players, your boss, the owner of the team you play for, is extending this offer, accepting this offer,” co-host Sara Haines said.
“I know you might get people that refuse to go, I just think it’s not fair to take any of the flowers and the beauty of this moment and its unity, and try to then place it on the players’ back,” she added.
The New York Knicks have received and accepted an invitation to visit the White House to celebrate their NBA championship, owner James Dolan confirmed Wednesday.
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Goldberg defended the team going and explained why.
“I want them to go,” she said. “I want all those Black men to stand in our house and remind all of those people, as we try to remind the vice president, that when you try to destroy one part of history, you’re destroying all of our histories. And they, as champions, not only as amazing basketball players, but as people who were down and came back up.”
“This is what this looks like,” Goldberg continued. “So I want them to go. I want them to go. If only so the kids know that nobody, nobody can keep you down if you are rising up.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin said there was a reason why other NBA teams refused to go while Trump was president.
“I think there’s a reason why every single — the previous five NBA champions crowned during the Trump administration refused to go. I think there’s a reason for it, and that’s because he politicizes the events that come before him. That’s one of the problems. I don’t think you can separate Trump from the White House, even though we would like to, because it is the people’s house,” she said.
“I remain very conflicted over it because I do think it puts a lot of pressure,” she continued. “These players and a lot of pressure on the captain of the team, Jalen Brunson. I think it puts a lot of pressure because Jose Alvarado, the Puerto Rican player, was already approached and asked, ‘Will you go to the White House?’ And he said, ‘I will do whatever my team decides.'”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan said on WFAN New York’s “The Carton Show.” He said they “Still have to figure out the details, but, yes, of course, I invited the president to come down to the game, right? He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”
President Trump attended the Knicks’ Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. It turned out to be the only loss for the Knicks, who went on to win the NBA Championship Series 4-1. The details of the Knicks’ visit have yet to be finalized.
“The View” co-hosts discussed Trump attending Game 3 earlier this month and noted that many blamed Trump for the loss.
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“This man comes in, and he’s a fan, OK, but my goodness!” Goldberg said at the time. “And they are blaming him for ending the Knicks’ winning streak last night.”
Many members of the audience cheered that line, but Goldberg warned that they should blame the team, not Trump.
“No, no, no, now, come on now. They were not playing great ball. That was on us,” she said. “I have to just reiterate the fact that this man does not have that kind of power. We have to remind people. He doesn’t have the power.”
Hostin insisted Trump brought bad “juju” to the team by attending.
Fox News’ Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
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