PLUS, LIFE AND DEATH IN GAZA.
WE WILL TAKE YOU THERE.
THIS IS "SPECIAL REPORT" ."
GOOD EVENING.
I BRET BAIER.
NIGHT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
ENDURING SOME FEARS MONDAY
MORNING QUARTERBACKING FROM NFL
PLAYERS AND OTHERS OVER A
WHITE HOUSE VISIT FROM THE
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.
ONLY A HANDFUL OF PLAYERS WERE
PLANNING TO ATTEND.
THE PRESIDENT TIDY IT UP TO THE
UPROAR OVER PLAYERS PROTESTING
TO THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THAT
LINE OF REASONING.
CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
JOHN ROBERTS STARTS US OFF FROM
THE NORTH ONE OF THE
WHITE HOUSE.
>> GOOD EVENING.
NO QUESTION PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
BEEN ANY LONG-RUNNING FEUD WITH
THE NFL OVER PLAYERS KNEELING OR
FROM AS THE PRESIDENT SAID,
DISRESPECTING THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM.
TODAY THAT FEUD ERUPTED INTO AN
ALL-OUT WAR WITH THE
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.
>> WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY.
WE RESPECT OUR FLAG, AND WE
ALWAYS PROUDLY STAND FOR THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM.
WE ALWAYS WILL STAND FOR THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP DIDN'T EVEN
MENTION THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
ON THE SOUTH LAWN TODAY.
I EVENT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY TO
CELEBRATE THEIR SUPER BOWL
VICTORY TURNED INTO A
CELEBRATION OF THE MILITARY, THE
FLAG, AND AMERICAN PATRIOTISM.
>> WE STAND TO HONOR OUR
MILITARY AND OUR COUNTRY AND
REMEMBER THE FALLEN HEROES WHO
NEVER MADE IT BACK HOME.
WE STAND TO SHOW OUR LOVE FOR
OUR FELLOW CITIZENS AND OUR
MAGNIFICENT CONSTITUTION.
>> THE PRESIDENT CANCELED THE
EAGLES CELEBRATION LAST NIGHT
AFTER THE TEAM SAID ONLY TWO OR
THREE PLAYERS, OWNER JEFFREY
LURIE, AND THE EAGLES MASCOT
WOULD ATTEND.
>> THERE WERE 80 MEMBERS OF THE
ORGANIZATION THAT RSVPED AND
COMMITTED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT.
AS RECENTLY AS FRIDAY.
AS WELL AS OVER 1,000 FANS OF
THE EAGLES ORGANIZATION AND THE
EAGLES ARE THE ONES I TRIED TO
CHANGE THEIR COMMITMENT AT THE
11TH HOUR.
>> PHILADELPHIA MAYOR JIM
KENNEDY DIDN'T HOLD BACK, SAYING
"IS INVITING THEM FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE ONLY PROVES THAT OUR
PRESIDENT IS NOT A TRUE PATRIOT
BUT A FRAGILE EGOMANIAC OBSESSED
WITH CROWD SIZE AND AFRAID OF
THE EMBARRASSMENT OF THROWING A
PARTY TO WHICH NO ONE WANTS TO
ATTEND."
THE WHITE HOUSE INSISTS THE
EAGLES WERE PLAYING POLITICS,
SUGGESTING THE WHITE HOUSE VISIT
BE MOVED TO NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY
KNEW THE PRESIDENT WOULD BE IN
SINGAPORE TO MEET KIM JONG UN.
>> IF THIS WASN'T A POLITICAL
STUNT BY THE EAGLES FRANCHISE,
THEN THEY WOULDN'T HAVE PLANNED
TO ATTEND THE EVENT AND BACKED
OUT OF THE LAST MINUTE.
IF IT WASN'T A POLITICAL STUNT,
THEN THEY WOULDN'T HAVE
ATTEMPTED TO RESCHEDULE THE
VISIT WHEN THEY KNEW THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS GOING TO BE
OVERSEAS.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP BLAMED THE
PLAYERS FOR THE FIASCO IN A
STATEMENT SAYING "DISAGREE WITH
THEIR PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE
INSISTS THEY PROBABLY STAMP THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM HAND ON HEART
AND HONOR OF THE GREAT MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE MILITARY AND
THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY."
FORMER EAGLES WIDE RECEIVER TORI
SMITH QUICK TO REMIND ON TWITTER
THAT NO ONE ON THE EAGLES TOOK A
KNEE LAST SEASON.
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S FORMER PRESS
SECRETARY WHO WAS ALSO THE NFL'S
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SAID THE
PRESIDENT IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS ON
THIS ONE.
>> IT IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF
THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY.
HOW TRUMP SEES HIMSELF AS
PRESIDENT.
THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, IT
WASN'T HIS HOUSE.
HE DOESN'T GET TO DECIDE.
THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE.
IT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHETHER TEN
PLAYERS ARE COMING OR 30 PLAYERS
ARE COMING.
>> THE PRESIDENT WILL LIKELY
FACE ANOTHER SPORTS BOYCOTT
LATER.
LeBRON JAMES AND STEPH CURRY
HAVE SAID NEEDED THE LIVING
CALIBER --
THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS OR THE
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS WOULD
ATTEND.
LAST YEAR THE GOLDEN STATE
WARRIORS WERE ABOUT TO DECLINE
AN INVITATION OF THE LAST.
PRESIDENT TRUMP GOT WIND OF IT
AND JUMPED OUT AHEAD OF IT, AND
IS INVITING THEM.
THE FEUD CONTINUING BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENT AND THE NFL AND THE
NBA.
>> Bret: NEW DEVELOPMENT
REGARDING KELLY SADDLER AT THE
CENTER OF THE CONTROVERSY OF THE
COMMENTS JOHN McCAIN.
>> BOUGHT INTO CONTROVERSY.
SHE SAID ABOUT JOHN McCAIN,
WELCOME HE IS DYING ANYWAY.
THE WHITE HOUSE REFUSED TO
APOLOGIZE.
KELLY SADDLER REFUSED TO
APOLOGIZE IN THE WAKE OF THAT.
WE ARE TOLD BY BY SENIOR
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS THAT
KELLY SADDLER IS NO LONGER WITH
THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> Bret: INTERESTING.
JOHN ROBERTS LIVE ON THE NORTH
LAWN.
WHAT YOU THINK?
DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT MADE
THE RIGHT CALL ABOUT THE