For Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, a photo op with President Donald Trump celebrating the team’s victory in Super Bowl LII is “not worth my time.”
“When it comes to this presidency, I’m not very excited about getting my picture taken with him,” Jenkins tells CNN’s Van Jones on “The Van Jones Show,” set to air Saturday, February 10, at 7 p.m. ET.
“This is a celebratory event where we come, the President comes in, shakes a couple hands, takes a picture and leaves. And I’m just not interested in that,” says Jenkins, a long-time advocate of criminal justice reform.
“It’s just not worth my time,” he tells Jones. “I’d rather spend my time working with whoever on these issues that we’ve been fighting for. That’s just my personal decision.”
Jenkins says he would “definitely consider meeting Trump” if the visit involved talking about improving the criminal justice system.
“Where that work is is where I’ll be,” he says.
“I mean, if I wouldn’t, then what is it that I’m trying to get accomplished?” he says. “So, if you can go directly to the President of the United States and talk about these issues that are plaguing our communities, I think that’s a responsibility for us regardless of how you feel about somebody on a personal level.”