For the first time in history, a sitting U.S. president will attend the Super Bowl. Donald Trump will be present at the game this Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
This marks a significant moment in history as Trump becomes the first president to attend the event while in office. Previous presidents, like Ronald Reagan, have been involved in Super Bowl activities, such as performing the coin toss via satellite from the White House. But no sitting president has ever been in the stadium for the game itself.
New Orleans has been on edge since a deadly terror attack rocked the city on New Year’s Day, killing 14 people on Bourbon Street. As a result, heightened security measures are in place for this weekend’s event. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, “Security measures have been further enhanced this year, given that this will be the first time a sitting president of the United States will attend the event.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the Super Bowl “the biggest homeland security event that we do every year.” The safety of President Trump will be a priority, with the NFL and law enforcement agencies working together to ensure the safety of all attendees.
Trump’s appearance is expected to spark controversy, given his past comments about the NFL. As a strong critic of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Trump has also made headlines for questioning the patriotism of players who kneel during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice. The controversial “taking a knee” movement, which drew attention to racial inequalities, has been a point of division in American politics.
For this year’s Super Bowl, the NFL will not feature the “End Racism” slogan in the end zone, which had been a part of previous games. Instead, a “Choose Love” message will be displayed. The NFL explained that the new message was chosen due to recent events, including wildfires in California, the terrorist attack in New Orleans, and other tragic incidents.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said, “Choose love is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks… these are difficult times for all of us.”
The decision to shift from “End Racism” to “Choose Love” comes amidst Trump’s criticism of diversity efforts, which include non-discriminatory hiring practices aimed at improving workplace diversity. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s commitment to diversity, stating, “Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the NFL.”
The Super Bowl, which has been an annual tradition since 1967, is the biggest sporting event in the U.S., drawing millions of viewers every year. Last year, the game had 123.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched broadcast in U.S. history since the moon landing in 1969.
Politicians have long been involved with the event. Former President George W. Bush was the first to give a pre-game interview in 2004. George H. W. Bush tossed the coin in 2017, while Ronald Reagan did so via satellite in 1985. Barack Obama continued the tradition, but Joe Biden declined the interview in the past two years, leaving room for Trump’s landmark appearance.
