SUPER Bowl will have no less than US President Donald Trump in attendance.
WASHINGTON, United States — In an unprecedented move, Donald Trump will make history as the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl, set for this weekend in New Orleans, the White House confirmed on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time).
Trump’s attendance at Sunday’s highly anticipated showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome marks a first for the nation’s highest office.
For decades, the Super Bowl has been the epicenter of American sports culture, and now the commander-in-chief will be there to witness the spectacle firsthand.
While former President George H.W. Bush participated in the ceremonial coin toss at the 2002 and 2017 Super Bowls, and Ronald Reagan did so from the White House during the 1985 game, Trump’s presence will elevate the event to a whole new level.
In addition to his attendance, Fox, the network broadcasting the game, will air a pre-recorded interview with the president ahead of the match, according to Fox News.
Trump’s relationship with the NFL, however, has been far from smooth. His frequent criticisms of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his inflammatory comments in 2017, questioning the patriotism of players who knelt during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, stirred widespread controversy.
His remarks sparked a wave of protests among NFL players and further soured relations with the league.
Despite the tension, Goodell remains steadfast. Just days before the Super Bowl, the NFL Commissioner reaffirmed the league’s commitment to diversity and inclusive hiring practices, an initiative Trump has consistently opposed.
“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” Goodell said in a press conference.
“We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League, both on and off the field.”
In another significant shift, the NFL announced that the iconic “End Racism” slogan, which has been painted on the end zones since 2021, will not be present during this year’s game. Instead, the phrases “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” will replace it at each end of the field.