New Orleans
One of the biggest sporting events in the world took place in New Orleans as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched this year's Super Bowl with an emphatic 40-22 victory over defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs.
The event did not just bring out the best the NFL has had to offer this season - but plenty of Hollywood A-listers, musicians and US President Donald Trump were spotted in the stands of the Superdome.
Greeted with a mix of cheers and boos, Trump attended the Super Bowl on Sunday, the first sitting president to do so in person, despite a complicated relationship with the National Football League and a controversial history of mixing politics and sports.
Trump watched the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles from a box in the Superdome in New Orleans, along with his daughter, Ivanka, and son, Eric, as well as several lawmakers who accompanied him on Air Force One to New Orleans. First lady Melania Trump did not attend.
Singer Taylor Swift in the stands during the game.
Photo credit: Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
The president's visit, some three weeks after he launched his second term at the White House with executive orders to crack down on immigration and end government diversity programs, put the Republican at the scene of a classic American pastime that connects people of all political ideologies.
Recording artist Jay-Z arrives before Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Ceasars Superdome.
Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas | Reuters
When he entered the stadium, to meet briefly with families of the victims of the New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street as well as police officers and emergency workers, he was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd.
Trump's attendance also highlighted the contrast between his order to eliminate government diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with the NFL's decision to stick with its own initiatives to promote inclusion.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One on the way to New Orleans that he was not familiar with the NFL efforts.
Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show.
Photo credit: Mike Segar | Reuters
"I'd have to look at what he said he's happy with," Trump said of Goodell. "He was happy also with the flag and a lot of other things that didn't work out too well."
During his first term in office Trump criticized the league and its members after Black players kneeled during the U.S. national anthem to bring attention to racial injustice.
For Sunday's game, the league did not put the phrase "End Racism" behind one of the end zones, something it has done since 2021, replacing that directive with another one: "Choose Love."
Last year, as a presidential candidate, Trump ran ads during football games blasting 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.
It proved effective, and Trump has continued his crackdown on transgender rights from the White House, last week signing an executive order seeking to exclude transgender girls and women from female sports.
Trump was one of many celebrities at the game. Superstar singer Taylor Swift, who is dating Chiefs player Travis Kelce, was also in the stadium. She endorsed Harris in the 2024 election.
