Branch joins growing list of Patriots to skip White House visit

The number of New England Patriots opting not to visit the White House as part of their Super Bowl celebration continues to grow.

Defensive tackle Alan Branch told SiriusXM NFL Radio he also won't be attending the event and will be "spending time with family" instead.

Among the teammates that have already declined the visit are Martellus Bennett, Devin McCourty, LeGarrette Blount, Chris Long, and Dont'a Hightower.

The Patriots will be the first NFL team to visit the White House after winning the Super Bowl since Donald Trump was elected president. Trump has boasted about having a number of personal ties to the Patriots, including to owner Bob Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady.