NFL Super Bowl 2025: Former President Donald Trump has a long and complicated history with football, from playing in high school to owning a team in a rival league to clashing with the NFL over protests. On Sunday, he became the first sitting US president to attend a Super Bowl.
Trump flew from Florida to New Orleans to witness the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome. He met with participants of the honorary coin toss, including first responders and families of victims of a tragic New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter. He later watched the game from a suite alongside prominent Republican allies. Senators Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott and House Speaker Mike Johnson also joined him for the game.
His presence coincided with the NFL’s decision to remove “End Racism” slogans from end zones, AP reported. The president recently ordered the termination of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies. While some critics argue that the league’s decision was influenced by Trump’s administration, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell denied any direct connection, insisting that the league remains committed to diversity efforts, the report further stated.
Trump’s rocky history with NFL
Trump, a longtime sports enthusiast, has often leveraged football for political messaging. During his presidency, he strongly opposed players kneeling during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice. At a 2017 rally in Alabama, Trump famously called for team owners to fire players who knelt.
Despite his rocky history with the NFL, Trump’s connections to football remain strong. As a businessman, he owned the New Jersey Generals in the short-lived United States Football League (USFL) in the 1980s, where he unsuccessfully sued the NFL in an attempt to force a merger. His support within football circles is evident, as several NFL team owners have contributed to his political campaigns, the AP report further stated. He also maintains close friendships with former players like Herschel Walker and Doug Flutie.
Trump makes Super Bowl prediction
Ahead of the game, Donald Trump made his Super Bowl prediction, favoring the Chiefs. “I guess you have to say that when a quarterback wins as much as he’s won, I have to go with Kansas City,” he told Fox News. He praised Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as a “great, great quarterback”.
Trump’s attendance at the Super Bowl also shed light on his broader involvement in sports. A dedicated golfer, he has played with Tiger Woods and owns several golf courses. He has hosted boxing matches at his former Atlantic City casinos and attended a UFC event at Madison Square Garden following his 2020 re-election.
The NFL’s move to replace the “End Racism” slogan with “Choose Love” for this year’s Super Bowl drew mixed reactions. Alvin Tillery, a Northwestern University politics professor and diversity expert, criticised the league, calling the removal of the original message “shameful”. He argued that the NFL benefits financially from Black athletes and questioned the timing of the decision, AP reported. The NFL, however, stated that the change was meant to promote unity following recent national tragedies, including the New Orleans attack.