President Trump got a warm reception Monday evening at the College Football Playoff national championship game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers.
His motorcade took him from his Mar-a-Lago resort to Palm Beach Airport, where he boarded Marine One for a short jaunt to the airport at Pembroke Pines and finally another motorcade to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
He arrived just before the start of the game. A wave of cheers echoed through the stadium when the TV cameras cut to him in one of the luxury boxes.
President Trump attends the 2026 College National Football Championship to massive applause!
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The cheers occurred during the performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Jamal Roberts, and were noticeable in partially overriding the “American Idol”-winning gospel singer as he reached the line about “the twilight’s last gleaming.”
Several family members — daughter Ivanka, granddaughter Kai, and son-in-law Jared Kushner among them — were also visible in his box, as was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Miami native.
Indiana won the school’s first national title in football with the 27-21 victory to cap an undefeated season.
Before reaching the game, Mr. Trump issued a statement congratulating both Indiana and Miami for their unexpected appearance in the title game — the Hoosiers were the No. 1 seed, but historically have been Big 10 doormats and the Hurricanes were the last team this year to get an at-large berth.
“Melania and I congratulate the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes on making it to the College Football Playoff National Championship. God bless the talented players and dedicated coaches, the families who love and support them, and the faithful fans who cheer them on. May the best team win!” he said in the statement.
Mr. Trump has made a habit of appearing at high-profile sports events, already having become the first president to attend the Super Bowl in person and the first president since Jimmy Carter to attend a regular-season NFL game.
He has been a regular at major UFC cards where, unlike at football stadiums, he enters the cage area through the crowds and interacts with the spectators and fighters.
He also presented English side Chelsea with the trophy at soccer’s first Club World Cup final last summer at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and even stayed on the podium with the team for several seconds after the players had received the trophy and started celebrating among themselves.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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