President Donald Trump will not be in attendance at Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The decision comes one year after Trump made history as the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl when he was at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for the Eagles-Chiefs matchup.
Why Is Trump Skipping the Super Bowl?
Trump told the New York Post in a Jan. 25 interview that the game in California was “just too far away,” adding, “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”
He also expressed disapproval of the scheduled performers, halftime headliner Bad Bunny and pregame opening ceremony act Green Day, both of whom supported Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump told the Post.
According to a report from Zeteo, there was an additional factor behind the decision. Several administration officials and advisers privately assessed that Trump would likely be booed by the crowd at the stadium and determined it was “best to stay away from this one.”
The White House pushed back on that characterization, with spokesperson Davis Ingle telling Zeteo that Trump “would receive a warm welcome because America knows he has done more to help this country than any other president in history.”
How Trump Will Be Part of Game Day
While Trump will not be in Santa Clara, he will still appear on the Super Bowl broadcast. NBC taped a sit-down interview between Trump and “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas in the Oval Office earlier this week, with a segment set to air during Sunday’s pregame show. Last year, Trump sat down with Fox’s Bret Baier for a similar pregame interview when the Super Bowl aired on Fox.
The president’s decision to skip the game has intersected with a broader cultural clash surrounding Bad Bunny’s halftime performance. Conservative organization Turning Point USA announced a competing “All-American Halftime Show” headlined by Kid Rock, with additional performances from Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett.
That event is scheduled to stream on YouTube, X and Rumble around 8 p.m. ET, timed to coincide with the NFL’s official halftime show.
Bad Bunny headlines the #SuperBowl halftime show today. pic.twitter.com/hfRVPKE63g
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 8, 2026
Bad Bunny, a Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist and U.S. citizen, has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
At the Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, Bad Bunny said during his acceptance speech for Best Musica Urbana Album, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stood by the league’s selection, saying, “We’re confident it’s going to be a great show.”
Super Bowl 60 kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
