Trump to Make History at Super Bowl LIX

President Trump will attend Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, an official tells the AP, as the first sitting president ever to attend. Reactions and more on the big game:

• History: Just three sitting vice presidents have attended the big game: Al Gore in 1994, George HW Bush in 1982, and Spiro Agnew in 1971, per Yahoo Sports.
• Security: Secret Service agents have been on the ground for days preparing, per the AP. Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said "extensive planning and coordination" went into safety plans, with security measures "further enhanced" due to Trump's attendance.

• He'll give an interview: Trump will sit for a pre-taped, wide-ranging interview with Fox News' Bret Baier at Mar-a-Lago, to air during the network's preshow programming, per Axios. It's the first time in three years that a US president has agreed to a network interview for the coverage, after President Biden declined in 2023 and 2024.
• A Chiefs fan?: Trump appears to be favoring the Kansas City Chiefs over the Philadelphia Eagles. "There's a certain quarterback that seems to be a pretty good winner," he said Tuesday, seemingly referring to the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes. He also congratulated the Chiefs after their AFC Championship, claiming Chiefs fans had "voted for me (MAGA!) in record numbers."
• Eagles beef?: He did not, however, congratulate the Eagles, a team he accused of snubbing him after their 2018 Super Bowl win. USA Today columnist Chris Brennan suggests "Trump is still peeved," showing "how easily his ego is bruised." "And, yes, there will be booing for him from some Eagles fans. Bet on it," Brennan writes.

• Why come at all? USA Today columnist Mike Freeman is no fan of having Trump, "the most divisive president of our lifetime," attend the game "that often serves as a genuine moment of unity." He argues "Trump wants to go to get attention but also to show dominance over a league that once rejected him," presenting "potentially a security nightmare."
• A missing message: Freeman also draws a link between Trump's visit and the decision to remove "End Racism" messages from the Super Bowl end zones, where it has appeared since 2021. However, an NFL rep says the swap for "Choose Love" has nothing to do with Trump. He says it's part of the league's "Inspire Change" campaign and reflects a response to recent tragedies, including the New Orleans terrorist attack, per NBC News.
• Rematch: The game will be a redo of 2023 when the Chiefs narrowly defeated the Eagles 38-35 for their first of two back-to-back Super Bowl wins. But can they make it three, breaking the record for most consecutive Super Bowl wins?
• Ticket prices: The cheapest ticket on Stubhub as of Monday stood at $3,390 before taxes and fees, down 37% from last year, per NPR. And prices have been sliding over the last few days. A Stubhub rep notes "economics of the host city, stadium size and team matchups all play a role."

(More Super Bowl stories.)