Donald Trump exited the Super Bowl prematurely, his pre-match prophecy of a Kansas City Chiefs' victory astonishingly unfulfilled. Images captured the President boarding Air Force One more than an hour before the grand finale, which saw the Philadelphia Eagles triumphantly seal their win with a convincing score of 40-22. A spokesperson from the White House clarified to The Independent that Trump had intended all along to depart the event early, furnishing a copy of his schedule that denoted his scheduled departure from the Caesars Superdome at 8:05 p.m.
Prior to kickoff, speculations buzzed around who Trump, the first incumbent U.S. President to attend a Super Bowl, would be rooting for. The New York-bred Republican, who has never publicly declared allegiance to any specific team, has been a familiar face at numerous sporting events. In a pre-game interview with Fox, the President expressed his reluctance to take sides, stating his eagerness to witness "a great game." Nonetheless, he ventured a prediction in favor of the Chiefs after lavishing praise on quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany. "I hate to do it, but... I watched this exceptional quarterback who has an extraordinary wife. She's a MAGA enthusiast... a wonderful person. When a quarterback achieves as much as he has, I suppose I'd have to side with Kansas City," he remarked. "That being said, Philadelphia also has an impressive team; it promises to be an exciting match."
Moments before images of his early departure surfaced, Trump was posting on Truth Social, not about football but about mandating the U.S. Treasury to mint new pennies. Even before his ultimately incorrect forecast, Trump had hinted at favoring the Chiefs, congratulating the team upon their Super Bowl qualification, writing: "What an incredible Team, Coach, Quarterback, and virtually every other aspect, including those fantastic FANS who voted for me (MAGA!) in unprecedented numbers."
He failed to extend the same courteous gesture towards the Eagles. When the Eagles triumphed at the Super Bowl in 2018, during Trump's initial term as president, several team members opted not to accept the traditional invitation to the White House, an honor bestowed upon every Super Bowl victor. Among those who declined were players such as Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long, who had publicly expressed their support for former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In 2016, Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Trump perceived this rejection as a slight, prompting him to withdraw the invitation to the entire team.
In addition to Mahomes, Trump has previously lavished praise upon Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce, after the latter expressed his deep honor at the president's attendance. "Regardless of who occupies the Oval Office," Kelce enthused, "I am thrilled because this is the pinnacle of my football career. Having the president present makes it all the more special, in the greatest country on earth. It's truly awesome."
However, while the president has heaped accolades upon both Mahomes and his wife, his affection for Kelce's partner is notably absent. "I ABSOLUTELY DETEST TAYLOR SWIFT!" the president fumed on Truth Social, shortly after the pop icon openly endorsed his then-rival Kamala Harris for president in September. During an interview on Fox and Friends, Trump further expressed his disdain, stating, "I've never been a fan of hers... It was only a matter of time... She's deeply liberal, always championing Democrats. And she might just pay the price for it in the market."
