President Trump Arrives at Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, Meets with Families of Terror Attack Victims
President Donald Trump has arrived at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl 59 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Trump is making history by becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. He made his way down on the field ahead of kickoff and “met family members of the victims from the New Orleans terror attack, as well as local police and first responders,” as Bloomberg News’s Josh Wingrove noted.
On his flight to the game, from Palm Beach International Airport to Louisiana, the president signed a proclamation declaring February 9, 2025, Gulf of America Day as Air Force One flew over the “Gulf of America” for the first time since Trump renamed it from the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump said he was looking forward to joining football fans in the Big Easy in a statement released ahead of his arrival. He also complimented those participating on the field Sunday as embodiments of the American Dream.
“The coaches, players, and team staff on the field tonight represent the best of the best in professional football, but they also embody the best of the American Dream,” he said in an official White House statement.
“Their hard work, dedication, and tenacity is admirable, and their individual journeys are as inspiring as the drive and determination that has led them to this extraordinary moment,” he added.
Trump, who last week signed a historic executive order protecting women’s sports, also said the competitors “represent the hopes and dreams of our Nation’s young athletes as we restore safety and fairness in sports and equal opportunities among their teams.”
The 45th president also commented on the national unity the Super Bowl tradition promotes on an annual basis:
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. This annual tradition transcends our differences and personifies our shared patriotic values of family, faith, and freedom heroically defended by our military service members, law enforcement officers, and first responders. We value their devotion to protecting our great Nation and salute their selfless service.
Sunday’s contest between the Chiefs and Eagles comes just weeks after the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on January 1, hours after ringing in the New Year, when the terror suspect, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, plowed a pickup truck through a crowd, killing 14 and injuring 35.
“While thousands of fans from across our Nation gather in New Orleans to cheer on their favorite team, we remember that 14 families will be missing a loved one who was tragically murdered during a senseless terrorist attack while celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street,” Trump said.
“Our thoughts are also with the 35 individuals injured during the attack whose lives were changed forever that fateful night, and our prayers will remain with them for continued strength, comfort, and healing,” he added.
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