Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ thrilling victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game, securing their place in Super Bowl LVII, former President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to congratulate the team. He specifically highlighted the Chiefs’ fan base, claiming a significant portion of their supporters had voted for him in the recent presidential election, linking the team’s triumph to his political following. Trump’s message extended to the defeated Bills, predicting future success for the team despite their loss. This public display of support and partisan commentary underscored the intersection of sports and politics, a recurring theme throughout Trump’s presidency. However, Trump noticeably omitted any mention of the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC Champions, hinting at a strained relationship with the team stemming from a past controversy.
The Chiefs, led by coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, were vying for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory, a feat no NFL team had ever achieved. Trump’s celebratory message served to further intertwine the team’s pursuit of this historic accomplishment with his own political narrative. His focus on the Chiefs’ supposed support for his political agenda, coupled with his omission of the Eagles, suggested a deliberate attempt to leverage the team’s success for his own political gain. This tactic echoed previous instances where Trump had utilized sporting events as platforms for political messaging, blurring the lines between sports and politics. His comments also highlighted the increasingly polarized nature of American society, where even sporting events could become subject to political interpretation and division.
Trump’s silence on the Eagles’ victory was particularly significant given the history between him and the team. In 2018, following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, Trump rescinded an invitation for the team to visit the White House. This decision followed several Eagles players expressing their intention to boycott the event in protest against Trump’s comments regarding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Trump had criticized players who knelt, viewing it as disrespectful to the military and the flag. The Eagles’ decision to boycott, and Trump’s subsequent withdrawal of the invitation, highlighted the growing tensions between athletes and the political establishment, with athletes increasingly using their platforms to express their political views.
The Chiefs, having won their first Super Bowl of their current dynasty in 2020, just weeks after the presidential transition to Joe Biden, found themselves once again in the political spotlight. During the 2024 election cycle, several players, including kicker Harrison Butker, a prominent pro-life advocate, publicly supported Trump. While Mahomes himself refrained from public endorsements, his wife, Brittany, and mother, Randi, both made public displays of support for Trump, further embroiling the team in political discourse. Brittany’s social media activity, including liking Trump’s policy platform and pro-Trump comments, generated backlash and controversy. Similarly, Randi’s appearance at a Chiefs game wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat further underscored the family’s political leanings.
These public displays of support for Trump by members of the Chiefs’ organization, contrasted with the previous conflict between Trump and the Eagles, created a stark political backdrop for the upcoming Super Bowl. The juxtaposition of the two teams, one seemingly aligned with Trump and the other having publicly clashed with him, added another layer of complexity to the already highly anticipated game. This dynamic underscored the increasing politicization of sports, where teams and players could become symbols of political ideologies, further dividing fans along partisan lines.
The Super Bowl LVII matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles, scheduled to take place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, promised to be a historic event, not only for the on-field competition but also for the off-field political narratives that had become intertwined with the two teams. While the focus should have been on the culmination of a thrilling NFL season, the political undertones surrounding the game, amplified by Trump’s selective praise and past controversies, were difficult to ignore. The game served as a microcosm of the broader political climate in the United States, demonstrating how even sporting events could become battlegrounds for political expression and division.
