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By Kate Nalepinski
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President Donald Trump is not expected to attend Super Bowl LX this weekend, but he'll still be part of game day events on television.
NBC taped a sit-down interview between Trump and NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas in the Oval Office this week. While a portion of the interview has aired, a separate segment is expected to be televised on Super Bowl Sunday during the pre-game show, leading up to the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.
Why it Matters
Trump's move to skip the Super Bowl intersects with a cultural and political clash over the NFL’s halftime show headliner, Bad Bunny.
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Bad Bunny vs. the Trump Administration
The Puerto Rican star has criticized the Trump administration's immigration policies, and the president and some of his allies have attacked the performer in return.
Last fall, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem commented on the NFL's choice to book Bad Bunny. "They suck, and we'll win," Noem said after podcaster Benny Johnson asked what message she wanted to send to the NFL. "They won't be able to sleep at night because they don't know what they believe."
Last weekend, Bad Bunny won the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (which also won Album of the Year) and said in his acceptance speech: "Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say ICE Out," an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement slogan.
"We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans," he said.
Despite Team Trump's criticism of the artist, the NFL has stood by its decision to keep the singer as its halftime performer, with ESPN suggesting the move aims to boost the League's international and Latino audience.
“We're confident it's going to be a great show. [Bad Bunny] understands the platform that he's on, and I think it's going to be exciting and a united moment," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
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Why Donald Trump Said He Won’t Attend the Super Bowl
Trump told the New York Post that he would skip the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, because it was “just too far away,” while also saying he didn't support Bad Bunny and Green Day, the band headlining the pre-game show.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump said.
The president attended last year’s Super Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, making him the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl. There were conflicting reports on whether Trump was booed or cheered during the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs game.
Working with NBC is a change from last year, when Trump sat down for an interview with Fox's Bret Baier. It also aired during Fox's pregame show.
Super Bowl LX: The Basics
Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Sunday, February 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
Conservative organization Turning Point USA will air a competing "All-American Halftime Show" headlined by Kid Rock, which will be streamed at the same time as the Super Bowl’s halftime show.
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