By Frank Pingue
SANTA CLARA, California, Feb 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump may not be attending the Super Bowl on Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots but he took time to wish both teams well hours before kickoff.
Trump issued a presidential message in which he called the Super Bowl more than just a championship but rather a uniquely American tradition that reflects the passion and perseverance of the United States.
"On the field, players and coaches bring years of
hard work, preparation, and commitment to football’s biggest night," Trump said in the message.
"Across the country, millions of fans come together to cheer on their teams and share in a moment of history. Today, every American is a football fan."
Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl when he went to the 2025 game in New Orleans.
But last month he told the New York Post he would not attend Sunday's game in Santa Clara, California, because it was "just too far away".
Trump was also displeased that the game would feature halftime entertainment by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny and a pre-game performance by punk rockers Green Day.
"May tonight’s game reflect the best of football and the enduring triumph of the American spirit — and may the best team win!" Trump said in the message.
Trump, in a pre-recorded interview aired on NBC on Sunday, also weighed in on the news that six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick was surprisingly not elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility for the Class of 2026.
The general thinking is that voters did not support Belichick as a "first-ballot" Hall of Famer due to scandals dubbed "Spygate" and "Deflategate" that surfaced during his tenure with the Patriots.
"I thought it was terrible,” Trump said of the Belichick snub.
“I mean, he’s won so much, won so many Super Bowls. Great coach. Became a little bit controversial, I guess, after that, this little period after that. During it, he was just a great coach. I thought it was very inappropriate.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Ken Ferris)
