Donald and Melania Trump Receive Standing Ovation, 'USA' Chants at College Football National Championship
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the college football national championship Monday night in New Orleans, Louisiana, receiving a loud ovation when their presence was announced. In the moments leading to the national anthem before kickoff, the Trumps received a rousing applause from the crowd, coupled with chants of "USA, USA."
The president and first lady walked onto the field alongside the ROTC members from LSU and Clemson, the teams competing for college football's top prize at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday. While walking with the ROTC, the Trumps stopped to wave at the USA-chanting crowd while ROTC members continued marching to designated spots.
The president and Melania found their designated spots next to the ROTC members and held their right hands over their hearts for the national anthem in what's considered to be friendly territory for them.
Monday's national championship is the third college football game the president has attended this season, and the second played by LSU. Trump attended the November 9, 2019, game between No. 2 LSU on the road in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, against the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide. They also received a standing ovation from the LSU-Alabama crowd, and it's no surprise. Trump carried Alabama and Louisiana during the 2016 presidential election. And with a Clemson crowd at the Superdome, it's no wonder he had more support from another state he carried (South Carolina)
The other game Trump attended this year was the Army-Navy Game on December 14, 2019, in Philadelphia. Trump was there for the national anthem, coin toss and first half. After ceremonially watching the game from one side during the first half, he made the trek across the field to watch the game from the other side for the next half.
Trump is a well-known sports fan, and he has attended several sports over the last year. He attended a World Series game between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros, and he also attended a UFC match at Madison Square Garden in New York City last fall.
The LSU-Clemson game in New Orleans marks the finale of the sixth season of the College Football Playoff. LSU is the No. 1 team in the playoff, and no top team has won the CFP championship since its inception for the 2014 season.
Clemson has won 29-consecutive games and could be only the fourth team in major college history to win three national championships in a four-year span. LSU is the top team in the country after a record-setting season by its offense and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow.
