New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett is refusing to attend the team's reception at the White House after winning Super Bowl LI because he does not support President Donald Trump.
Bennett made the comments while speaking with reporters and on Twitter, the Dallas Morning News reported on Monday.
Will Patriots TE Martellus Bennett make trip to White House if team goes to honor Super Bowl win? "I'm not going to go."
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) February 6, 2017
"It is what it is," Bennett said. "People know how I feel about it. Just follow me on Twitter."
It is customary for the president to invite championship winning sports teams to the White House for a reception, and for the team to bring their trophy and present the president with a jersey bearing their name as a gift.
Bennett's refusal to attend is a rarity, although there is speculation that some NBA players will not attend a celebration at the White House while Trump is president.
Bennett is at odds with some of the most high-profile members of the organization. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick are friends of Donald Trump, as is owner Robert Kraft, who has recently opened up about his relationship with the president to various media outlets.
Bennett told reporters he does not talk about politics with his teammates because of their differences, and said he is not concerned if Kraft would be upset with him not attending.
The Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Houston in the first Super Bowl to ever end in overtime, marking the Patriots' fifth super bowl win.