Saquon Barkley Rejects Trump’s Offer for Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition

Just days after the President announced the Philadelphia Eagles' running back Saquon Barkley as one of the prominent athletes on the Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, Barkley declared he would not participate. “I turned down an invitation,” he noted. The council, created following an executive order from President Trump, also reinstates the Presidential Fitness Test for American youth, a program that had been phased out during the Obama era but originally launched in 1966. During a White House address last Thursday, Trump revealed Barkley's membership alongside a host of other renowned athletes and sports figures. However, at a press conference earlier this week at Eagles training camp, Barkley explained, “A couple of months ago, the council was mentioned to my team, but I’m not too familiar with it. Given my busy football schedule, my family and I decided it was best not to accept.” He expressed surprise at his name being brought up in connection with the council.