President Donald Trump is expected to attend the Super Bowl Lix at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, a White House authority told CNN.
The guest list is still being prepared, the authority said, although the mayor, Mike Johnson, born in Louisiana, is in negotiations to join him.
With his presence on Sunday, he will make history as the first US president to attend the Super Bowl.
Former President George HW Bush held the traditional face or crown after leaving office in 2002 and again in 2017. And then President Ronald Reagan held a guy or crown “via satellite of the Oval Hall” in 1985, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Still, it will not be Trump’s first time in a major championship event; He attended the World Series game 5 in 2019, when the hometown Washington Nationals faced Houston Astros.
Safety intensified
There is one, with or without a presidential visit, but a source familiar with planning described intensified preparations before Trump’s presence.
The Super Bowl is designated as a special national security event, requiring a strategy of the entire government to protect the site and the region.
Planning for the event began when New Orleans was selected as the place of the game in 2020, and will require the entire range of available security resources, from chemicals to biological and radiological, according to Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN collaborator and former US Secret Service Agent.
CNN contacted NFL to comment. THE Punchbowl News It was the first to report Trump’s expected presence.
Internal Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared photos of Caesars Superdome on Tuesday, where she is overseeing security measures.
The source familiar with the planning said that there will be a significantly reduced team on Friday and Saturday for safety scanning purposes, with many involved being informed not to attend the arena on any of the days.
This source described preparations as “very serious” and “very intense”, comparing the level of on -site views to a G7 dome from world leaders.
“DHS has protected the NFL Super Bowl for over 20 years. We are working day and night to secure a safe and protected day of the SuperDome and the city of New Orleans, ”Posted Noem at X.
Wackrow told CNN that it will be relatively easy for the secret service to convert the existing security apparatus to accommodate a presidential visit.
“If you will take the president anywhere, take him to an environment that has been planned and designated as a special national security event gives him a small advantage. The secret service and law enforcement partners will be able to very effectively build a specific security plan for the president of the United States who integrates with the existing process, ”he said.
But the logistics of a presidential stop, he said, could cause inconvenience in the city, including along the train route and the airport where the Air Force a landing.
The trip also happens months after two assassination attempts against Trump, as well as a New Year’s terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.
The global threat environment and the persistent activity of domestic violent extremists, Wackrow said, “It is significantly worrying for secret service for such a trip. However, this is almost the new normal for them – they now understand that this is the environment in which they are. ”
Kansas City Chiefs will play against Philadelphia Eagles, and Kendrick Lamar is scheduled to perform at the interval show.
