Fernandon Mendoza is coming off an awesome college football season that saw him win the Heisman Trophy and the national championship with the Indiana Hoosiers. All of Mendoza’s success led to him being selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL draft.
Unfortunately for Mendoza, he was unable to attend the White House, as is the custom for national championship-winning teams, due to his commitments with the Raiders.
Everyone who was able made the White House trip on Monday, and United States President Donald Trump revealed that he was not happy about Mendoza’s absence.
“Fernando Mendoza—he didn’t show up. I’m not happy, but that’s ok. He is actually a big fan of what we are doing,” Trump said.
Trump: Fernando Mendoza—he didn't show up. I'm not happy, but that's ok. He is actually a big fan of what we are doing. pic.twitter.com/9u4YrWbjVc
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 11, 2026
People reacted to Trump’s revelation on social media.
“This is exactly why no team should ever go while he’s there. Has to make everything about him instead of what the team accomplished,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Trumps wrong but that’s because Mendoza is a robot built to play football and does not have the hard drive space to care about politics. His excuse about not going to the White House would be political for a lot of people but for him it was likely literal,” somoeone else added.
“I am betting based on what I have seen from a distance of Fernando, he isn’t okay with what the Trump regime is doing. He is a child of immigrants. There’s no way he is okay with what you are doing,” one perosn added.
It’ll be interesting to see if Mendoza can lead the Raiders to a White House visit by winning a Super Bowl.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.