President Donald Trump received a mostly cheerful welcome from the crowd attending Saturday’s major college football game between the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University.
Before the game’s kickoff, the President and first lady Melania Trump received a big cheer as they waved to the crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The crowd broke out in a “USA” chant and cheers of “Trump 2020” shortly after the Trumps were introduced.
“AMAZING welcome for @realDonaldTrump & @flotus at Bryant-Denny Stadium! Crowds went crazy!!!” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who traveled with the first couple to the game, tweeted on Saturday.
Not everyone in the stadium of over 100,000 people, however, noticed the first couple when they were shown on the venue’s screens.
During the game’s first timeout, when the President and first lady were more formally introduced, there appeared to be some boos mixed in with the overwhelming cheers.
Before kickoff, Trump mingled with the guests seated with him in the suite. The Trumps were joined in their guest box for the game by Republican politicians from Louisiana and Alabama, including GOP congressman Bradley Byrne. Byrne is running in the Alabama Republican primary for US Senate against Trump’s former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The box belongs to Jim Wilson, an Alabama real estate businessman and University of Alabama board of trustee member.
During halftime, the President and first lady waved to the crowd as the Alabama marching band performed their tribute to the US troops for Veterans Day weekend. The President also waved and gave a thumbs up to various members of the crowd.
Trump left the game with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, when the LSU Tigers held a 39-27 lead over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Although Alabama made it close, the Tigers held on to win 46-41.
“Thank you to LSU and Alabama for a great game!” Trump tweeted once the game was over.
Saturday was the President’s third time attending a major sporting event in two weeks.
It was a friendlier crowd in Tuscaloosa than the ones that greeted him at a World Series game in Washington, DC, and in his hometown of New York City for a UFC match.
But roughly a mile from the stadium on Saturday, the “Baby Trump” balloon, a popular protest symbol against Trump, drew crowds and Trump detractors ahead of the Alabama-LSU game.
Before the game’s start, the balloon was slashed and deflated by an unknown man, one of the organizers in charge of the balloon told CNN.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Dan Merica, Maegan Vazquez and Fernando Alfonso III contributed to this report.
