Super Bowl: Donald Trump to make history as first sitting president to attend NFL showpiece

Donald Trump will make history this weekend by becoming the first sitting president of the United States of America to attend the Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The city was devastated by a terror attack on New Year’s Day when 14 people were killed on Bourbon Street.

Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in January, is serving his second stint in office.

Though previous presidents have had some involvement in the Super Bowl such as doing the pre-match coin toss from the White House, no sitting president has ever attended the event.

“Security measures have been further enhanced this year, given that this will be the first time a sitting president of the United States will attend the event,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.

Earlier this week, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Super Bowl is “the biggest homeland security event that we do every year”.

Trump’s attendance is likely to be controversial given his comments about the NFL throughout his political career.

Trump, an outspoken critic of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, has questioned the patriotism of NFL players who kneel during the playing of the US national anthem.

The taking of the knee was a movement designed to draw attention to the issues of racial injustice in the United States.

Sunday’s Super Bowl will be the first in four years that will not display an “End Racism” message in the end zone, a “Choose Love” message will be used instead.

Since taking office, Trump has criticised non-discriminatory hiring practices aimed at improving workplace diversity.

The NFL denies the decision to remove the banners calling to end racism is connected to the current political climate.

“The Super Bowl is often a snapshot in time and the NFL is in a unique position to capture and lift the imagination of the country,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told AFP.

“Choose love is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks wildfires in southern California, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans, the plane and helicopter crash near our nation’s capital and the plane crash in Philadelphia.”