Donald Trump Becomes the First Sitting President To Attend Super Bowl
President Donald Trump has made history, becoming the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl.
Trump arrived at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans shortly before the kickoff. Last week, the president confirmed his attendance at the titular football game, which will feature the Kansas City Chief going up against the Philadelphia Eagles.
He was seen walking out of the tunnel at the Superdome around 4:30 p.m. CT and onto the field, where he was captured shaking hands with Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.
He also participated in a meet-and-greet with New Orleans law enforcement officers and victims of the New Year's Day attack before the start of Super Bowl LIX.
Trump's decision to attend this year's Super Bowl comes after the NFL officially removed the phrase "End Racism" from the end zones and replaced it with "Choose Love." In a statement, the NFL said their decision to change the slogan to acknowledge recent tragedies, including wildfires in California and plane crashes in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
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However, some critics believe the removal of the "End Racism" phrase is a response to Trump's order to cancel programs encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across federal government agencies. Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, denied that the league's policies were unrelated to Trump's decision to end the government's DEI programs.
His attendance also comes after he signed a proclamation officially decreeing Feb. 9 as the "Gulf of America Day."
Trump previously took to social media to congratulate the Chiefs for winning the AFC Championship.
"They will do a lot of winning long into the future," the president wrote.
Trump has predicted the Chiefs would win but added that he believes Philadelphia will play a "fantastic game."
