United States President Donald Trump is set to become the first sitting president to attend the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl LIX.
Trump will be at the New Orleans Superdome today as a guest of Gayle Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saints, along with more than 80,000 fans watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs face off.
The city is under heavy security as a result of the President’s attendance and alleged threats towards public safety.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has categorised the game as a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 — the highest security classification for a public event.
The Louisiana National Guard has mobilised 350 soldiers to assist over 2000 police while more than 690 DHS personnel are reported to be on the ground, deploying air security resources, cyber and infrastructure security assessments, and high-tech explosive detection.
Airspace is also being closely monitored with drone bans and airline flight path restrictions in place.
She said the city will be "a sea of blue" and roadblocks and controlled access points will remain in place through Monday.
This comes just a month after the 1 January vehicle attack on Bourbon Street, where a driver deliberately ploughed into a crowd killing 14 people and injuring over 50 more.
"We don’t want to focus only on the last incident. We want to focus on being prepared,” said NFL chief of security Cathy Lanier.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said security measures have been "enhanced” to ensure that all attendees, players, and staff are safe.
“We’re going above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past when we’ve hosted previously. We know we’re safer than we’ve ever been before,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell ahead of the big game.
The Sun U.S reported that a law enforcement source told Front Office Sports that Trump has received "multiple threats".
The DHS added that the US "remains in a heightened threat environment" but said there were no "specific, credible threats".
Trump’s attendance at the game comes as a political move following the signing of an executive order to eliminate government diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, while the NFL has decided to continue their own initiatives to promote inclusion.
During Trump’s first presidential term, he criticized the league and its members after Black players kneeled during the U.S. national anthem to bring attention to racial injustice following the death of George Floyd.
In 2024, Trump played ads during the game directed at his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, for her stance on transgender rights. "Kamala's for they/them; President Trump is for you," the ad said.
