President Donald Trump received a not-so-warm welcome while attending the biggest college football game of the week.
The commander-in-chief, 80, was loudly booed shortly after he was introduced at the highly-anticipated Saturday, September 26, matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 14 Tennessee.
The president first took part in a pregame Air Force One flyover at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, before he took his seat in a secure suit next to gubernatorial candidate and self-proclaimed MAGA supporter Marsha Blackburn.
“Ladies and gentleman, the 45th president and 47th president of the United States — Donald J. Trump,” the announcer said over the intercom and as Trump was shown on the jumbotron. Despite being met with audible boos amid some positive cheers, the president seemed undeterred as the two teams battled it out on the gridiron. (The Longhorns defeated the Volunteers 20-17 on Saturday. The president declined to publicly endorse any team prior to the game.)
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about the possible game-time disruptions the president could pose simply by choosing to attend the game in-person.
“In the fourth quarter, if he decides to leave early, your communication gets cut off and shuts down,” Sarkisian, 52, told reporters ahead of Saturday’s matchup. “A good friend of mine is Mario Cristobal. Last year, when they were playing Indiana in the national championship, they had the drive at the end of that game, they had no communications because he was leaving early before the game ended. And so you get no warning, it just cuts out. You’ve gotta be prepared for that.”
Trump’s Saturday appearance and subsequent reception was far from the first time the command-in-chief has received a cold shoulder from a large crowd.
Amid rising gas and diesel prices, rising inflation and an increase in the cost of living, the ongoing war in Iran and a historically low approval rating, Trump was also loudly booed while appearing at this year’s 2026 World Cup Final.
After Jennifer Hudson performed a stunning rendition of the U.S. national anthem on July 19, Trump was shown clapping while standing from his section inside Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
As the camera panned to him, Trump was audibly booed by the audience. He watched the match — where defending champs Argentina faced off against Spain — beside his wife, Melania Trump, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. (Spain emerged victorious, winning 1-0.)
Trump was also met by a loud chorus of boos while appearing at Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (The Knicks lost 115-111, with many critics blaming the president’s appearance for the New York team’s only loss of the championship series.)
“It was certainly amazing,” Trump told reporters of his reception at Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ loss. “It was, I think it was mostly cheers.”
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