The real reason trump left the super bowl early revealed
Donald Trump left the Super Bowl before the fourth quarter on Sunday, leading some to speculate over the reason for his early departure.
Some thought the president left because the team he picked to win – the Kansas City Chiefs – were getting an absolute beatdown by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Others complained on social media that he wasted taxpayer dollars by only going to half the game.
However, it can be revealed that the president’s official White House schedule always had him departing around 8:05 p.m. Central Time.
It was always intended that he would be on board Air Force One with over an hour of the game still to go.
The move was part of an elaborate logistical operation that allowed Trump to became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.
Having such a highly protected individual go in and out of a sports stadium causes a massive security headache – and it is one reason presidents are sometimes shy about attending mass events.
When a president does go to crowded public gatherings it requires more security from the U.S. Secret Service and local police, leading to potential chaos.
To ease security and logistical problems it is not unusual for presidents to depart such events before they end.
Otherwise, it would be necessary to prevent the audience – in this case 80,000 people – from exiting the stadium while the president is on the move.
Sunday’s event in New Orleans also came just weeks after a terror attack on the city’s Bourbon Street, the latest grim reminder of the challenges of securing mass gatherings.
The traveling press pool, which accompanied President Trump to the event and included DailyMail.com, had always been scheduled to leave the game before its conclusion.
Trying to orchestrate a ‘movement’ by the president while ticket-holders left the event could have been a logistical nightmare.
Trump’s team had drawn up a detailed plan to pull off the Super Bowl appearance, which was being hailed as a PR coup for the president.
It included figuring out where reporters and photographers could go to see the president up close, gathering information about lighting and distance, and thinking through other factors that can make for a strong image.
His arrival inside the stadium through the Chiefs’ tunnel had been planned in detail in advance, although Trump ended up getting there late and had a surprise encounter with Chiefs star Chris Jones.
White House media handlers ensured that the pool was in vans ready to leave the massive stadium well before half-time performer Kendrick Lamar started his show.
They were ready to roll just as soon as the president was ready.
The design of the stadium made the advance coordination necessary. Trump was up in a luxury box with daughter Ivanka and Republican senators.
But for him to leave, he had to be reunited with an entourage that included four separate vans of reporters and photographers, plus several black SUVs ferrying senators to and from the game.
The assemblage of VIPs bearing special credentials had to move quickly through the tunnels. All had been ‘swept’ by security in advance so that they are able to be in close proximity to the president without compromising his safety.
There are always additional security measures in place for large sporting events where lots of VIPs and political figures are expected to attend.
For example, then-First Lady Jill Biden attended the World Series in November 2022 to cheer for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Houston Astros. She also left the game early to get a head start on the crowd.
It is likely security officials and law enforcement wanted to avoid wrestling with thousands of people anxious to exit the Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday at the conclusion of the game.
Critics on social media were already in meltdown mode over Trump’s attendance at the Super Bowl, which some estimates claim cost the government up to $20 million.
‘Taxpayers paid over $20 million for Felon Donald Trump to attend half the Super Bowl. He reportedly left before Halftime. Where is DOGE at?’ a liberal podcaster posted to X.
A group called ‘Republicans against Trump’ wrote: ‘Trump is the first president to attend a Super Bowl game, a trip that will cost taxpayers millions of dollars—some estimates suggest as much as $15 million. What happened to ‘government efficiency’?’
Trump arrived at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana around 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Sunday – an hour before kickoff.
And the president remained a few minutes ahead of his official schedule, with the motorcade departing the stadium at 7:55 p.m. Central Time.
