\n<\/p>\n
Maybe he worried that Taylor Swift<\/strong> was getting too much attention: Donald Trump<\/strong> announced that he will attend the Super Bowl on Sunday, becoming the first sitting president in history to watch the game in person. The U.S. Secret Service released a statement Tuesday confirming \u201cextensive planning and coordination\u201d and hinting at \u201cenhanced security\u201d for attendees.<\/p>\n On Sunday the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in the title game in New Orleans, with a notable change of messaging on the field of the Superdome: For the first time since 2021, the message \u201cEnd Racism\u201d will not be stenciled on the turf above one of the teams\u2019 end zones. Instead, one end of the field will feature the message \u201cChoose Love,\u201d and the other, as it typically does, \u201cIt Takes All Of Us.\u201d The messaging is part of the NFL\u2019s diversity initiative, Inspire Change<\/a>, which began in 2020.<\/p>\n NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy<\/strong> said in a statement to CNN<\/a> that the league is in a position to \u201ccapture and lift the imagination of the country\u201d during the telecast. \u201c\u2018Choose Love\u2019 is appropriate to use in the Super Bowl as our country has endured in recent weeks wildfires in southern California<\/a>, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans<\/a>, the plane and helicopter crash<\/a> near our nation\u2019s capital, and the plane crash in Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n The league maintained that the messaging swap was unrelated to Trump\u2019s plan to attend the game. Notably, Trump has prioritized slashing DEI initiatives<\/a> across the government in his first days in office.<\/p>\n Swift is expected to be on hand at the game to support boyfriend Travis Kelce<\/strong> and the Chiefs, just as she was last year. Jason Kelce<\/strong>, a retired Eagles player turned sports commentator, and Travis\u2019s older brother and podcast co-host, confirmed in comments to People<\/em> on Tuesday<\/a> that the singer would be among the cheer squad.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t want to speak for everybody, but I think obviously, our whole family [will be there],\u201d Jason said. \u201cI believe, obviously Trav and Taylor, and his family and his friends.\u201d<\/p>\n Swift seems to hold a special fascination<\/a> for Trump, who during the 2024 election cycle posted AI-generated images<\/a> implying that the superstar had endorsed him, which she had not. In fact, Swift cited that incident<\/a> when she publicly pledged her support for his opponent, Kamala Harris<\/strong>. Swift also spoke against Trump in the 2020 election, endorsing Joe Biden<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Travis Kelce has already fielded questions about Swift in pre-Super Bowl press conferences, including back-to-back queries Monday evening<\/a> about whether he\u2019ll propose to her at the game. On Wednesday, he was asked another potentially uncomfortable question, this one about how he felt about Trump coming to the game.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s awesome. It’s a great honor,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cI think you know, no matter who the president is, I know I\u2019m excited because it\u2019s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there\u2014it\u2019s the best country in the world\u2014and that’s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelce did not publicly endorse a candidate in the 2024 election. Neither did Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes<\/strong>, though his wife Brittany Mahomes<\/strong> faced criticism for apparently liking social media posts from Trump\u2019s campaign. A source familiar with Swift and Brittany Mahomes\u2019 friendship told Vanity Fair<\/em> in September<\/a> that even with different political beliefs, people can still be friends. Patrick Mahomes commented early in the election cycle that he would not share his choice of candidate<\/a>, but would only encourage people to vote.<\/p>\n Still, Trump praised both Mahomeses and implied that they were both fans of The Donald in a temper tantrum after Swift\u2019s Harris endorsement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better, if you want to know the truth,\u201d Trump said in an interview with Fox & Friends<\/em>. \u201cShe\u2019s a big Trump fan. I was not a Taylor Swift fan. It was only a matter of time. You couldn\u2019t possibly endorse Biden. But she\u2019s a very liberal person. She seems to always endorse a Democrat and she\u2019ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace. But I like Brittany. Brittany is great. She\u2019s the one I like much better than Taylor Swift. Wife of the great quarterback. I think she\u2019s terrific.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday at the White House, Trump declined to pick a team to root for, saying, \u201cI don’t want to say, but there’s a certain quarterback that seems to be a pretty good winner,\u201d seeming to winkingly reference Patrick Mahomes.<\/p>\n During his own turn in the press conference hot seat Wednesday, Mahomes said<\/a> that he hadn\u2019t seen the clip of the president, but that it was \u201ccool to hear that he\u2019s seen me play football and that he respects the game I play.\u201d<\/p>\n Also cool, he thought, mirroring the careful non-partisan needle-threading of Kelce\u2019s answer, was the prospect of having the president in the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s always cool to be able to play in front of a sitting president, someone that is in the top position in our country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n