Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Personally Called Donald Trump to Apologize for Missing White House Visit

President Donald Trump respected former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s reason behind his decision to skip the Hoosiers’ visit to the White House on Monday. Sure, Trump is a little disappointed that he won’t get the chance to meet the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, but he’s not angry.

Trump, surrounded by the Hoosiers team that defeated Miami in the CFP final, revealed that he’s a fan of Mendoza. Then went on to elaborate on his absence from the event.

The reason [Fernando Mendoza’s] not here, he was so nice, he called because he is actually, [Vice President] JD [Vance], he’s a big fan of ours. You wouldn’t believe it because he didn’t show up. I’m not happy, but that’s okay. The reason he didn’t is because he’s at spring training. And I actually said, ‘Let him! He’s got to win.’

Donald Trump said

Superstar: Raiders star QB Fernando Mendoza called President Donald Trump to apologize for not visiting the White House.

"He didn't show up. I'm not happy, but that's okay. The reason he didn't because he's in spring training, right!"

Mendoza is a proud supporter of MAGA 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZWStrLLgaj

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 11, 2026

Earlier this month, Mendoza announced that he would miss the trip to the White House because he considers himself a novice quarterback. Earning the title of the best player in college football doesn’t mean anything in the NFL. Only training can help him improve his craft. So, he can’t skip the Raiders’ practice.

I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I gotta prove myself. I can’t miss practice … I’m a rookie. I don’t think that’s a good look.

Mendoza said

The Raiders drafted Mendoza first overall in the 2026 draft. They also signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a multi-year deal.

Donald Trump raves about Fernando Mendoza’s achievements with Hoosiers

Mendoza, a native of Miami, committed to play for the University of California Golden Bears after finishing high school. Three years and 19 appearances later, Mendoza entered the college football transfer portal. Ahead of the 2025 season, he joined the Hoosiers and penned a lucrative NIL deal, funded by former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Indiana went undefeated in the regular season and qualified for the college playoffs. In the postseason, they defeated Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Oregon in the Peach Bowl, and finally Miami in the CFP final to be crowned the 2025 champions.

Mendoza reached the final three in the Heisman voting. He edged out Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia to become the first player from the University of Indiana to win the Heisman Trophy.

[Mendoza] became Indiana’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner, right coach? And Fernando completed 226 of 316 passes. That’s good. Throwing for 2,980 yards. Let’s round it off [to] 3,000… I’m going to round that off a little bit, coach [Curt Cignetti], 3,000 yards and a nation-leading 33 touchdowns. Fernando couldn’t be here today because, as I said, he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. And let’s see how good a team they have. And I think he’s going to do great.

Trump said

The President’s love for football, especially collegiate football, is the worst-kept secret. So, it’s no surprise that he would keep tabs on the best players. Then again, his homework was slightly off. Mendoza completed 273 passes on 379 pass attempts for 3535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He further added 276 yards and 7 TDs on the ground, including a diving last-ditch score in the final.

Analyst urges the Raiders to sign this receiver to help Mendoza and Cousins

The Raiders have a generous lineup of wide receivers on their extended roster. From Jalen Nailor to Chase Roberts and Tre Tucker, the Raiders have a variety of players to utilize during the 2026 season. However, all of them are very young, and what the Raiders need is a veteran presence.

To fulfill the need of an experienced wideout, ESPN’s Matt Bowen suggests that the Raiders should sign free agent WR Deebo Samuel.

Samuel caught 72 passes and scored five touchdowns in his one season with the Commanders, with 63.7% of his receiving totals coming after the catch. A power strider, he would benefit from a system that allows him to get loose on catch-and-run targets.

Bowen wrote in his free agency report

Adding Samuel will open a completely new dimension for the Raiders, giving Cousins and Mendoza someone to rely on in the offense.

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