(AFP) – Donald Trump arrived at the Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, making history as the first sitting US President to attend a Super Bowl. A presidential motorcade whisked Trump to the venue in downtown New Orleans after he jetted in from Florida on Air Force One.
Trump appeared briefly on the Superdome field following his arrival and met with first responders and family members of victims of the January 1 attack in New Orleans that left 14 people dead and dozens wounded. Trump, who began his day by playing golf with Tiger Woods in Florida, heads a galaxy of VIPs and celebrities attending Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
The US leader’s presence at the game marks a new chapter in what has often been a tense relationship with the NFL, who he has routinely accused of being too progressive. Speaking in a pre-recorded interview with Fox before Sunday’s showpiece, Trump said his decision to attend the Super Bowl was for the good of the country.
“I thought it would be a good thing for the country to have the president be at the game,” Trump told Fox. “It’s an iconic day. It’s going to be a great game, two great teams, and let’s see what happens,” Trump said, revealing that he was tipping Kansas City for victory, citing the record of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is eyeing his fourth Super Bowl win.
In a separate message issued by the White House earlier Sunday, Trump said the Super Bowl was an opportunity for a divided nation to come together. “Football is America’s most popular sport — for good reason — it fosters a sense of national unity, bringing families, friends, and fans together and strengthening communities,” Trump said. “This annual tradition transcends our differences and personifies our shared patriotic values of family, faith, and freedom,” added Trump.
The US president was a staunch critic of the NFL during his first term and sparked uproar in 2017 by disparaging players who kneeled during the playing of the US national anthem in protest at racial injustice. Players at this year’s Super Bowl have broadly welcomed his attendance, with Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes saying it will be “cool” to play in front of Trump.
Fans also appeared to welcome Trump’s decision to attend the Super Bowl, with some crowding around television monitors at the venue to watch his pre-game interview. “I think it is awesome, congratulations to him for being the first president to make it,” Bob Benderovich, a Philadelphia Eagles fan from Fort Myers, told AFP.
While some fans expressed hope that Trump would not seek to politicize the occasion, others were indifferent. “He can do what he wants,” said Philadelphia fan Cal Johnson. “This is the Eagles game, it’s the Eagles v Chiefs and we came down for that.”
Cole Champagne, a Kansas City Chiefs fan from Lafayette, Louisiana, also applauded Trump’s attendance. “It’s pretty cool, I didn’t realize that it’s the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl — so that’s pretty cool and I feel like that makes it mean a little more,” Champagne told AFP.
Trump will not be present to watch the climax of Sunday’s game. According to a White House schedule released earlier Sunday, he will leave the Superdome at around 8.05pm local time, well before the game is decided. – Simon EVANS
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