President Donald Trump was received with thunderous applause when shown on the Jumbotron at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami before Monday night’s College Football Playoff (CFP) national championship game between the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers.
Trump stood and waved as the cameras focused on him.
Seated near Trump in his suite were the president’s daughter, Ivanka, and three of his grandchildren. Notably, the president’s granddaughter, Kai, who is an incoming golfer at the University of Miami, was also in attendance.
“Melania and I congratulate the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes on making it to the College Football Playoff National Championship,” the president said in a White House statement.
Trump added, “God bless the talented players and dedicated coaches, the families who love and support them, and the faithful fans who cheer them on. May the best team win!”
The president wasn’t the only high-visibility member of the federal government on hand for the game. Miami native and Hurricanes fan Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also in attendance.
President Trump has become a fixture at championship sporting events during both of his terms. While the president can be seen frequently at UFC events, he also attended last year’s Super Bowl and flipped the coin at this year’s Army-Navy game.
The president is also exerting his influence over college sports by planning an executive order to prevent postseason football from overlapping with the annual Army-Navy game.
