All the Sporting Events Trump Has Attended Since Becoming President
Sports have always drawn presidents into the public eye, but Donald Trump has taken that playbook and stretched it further than any of his predecessors. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has built an itinerary that looks less like a presidential calendar and more like the wish list of a die-hard fan. There’s a schedule for football, baseball, wrestling, tennis, mixed martial arts, golf, and even global soccer competitions. If the spectacle is big enough, Trump has made sure to be there.
Trump’s Sporting Event Timeline as President
Here’s a look at the major stops on his sports calendar since taking office:
- February 9, 2025 – Attended Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans (Chiefs vs. Eagles). First sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.
- February 16, 2025 – Attended the Daytona 500 in Florida. Rode a pace lap in the presidential limo before the race.
- March 22, 2025 – Sat in the crowd for the NCAA wrestling championships finals in Philadelphia.
- April 3, 2025 – Landed Marine One at Trump National Doral Golf Club for the LIV Golf tournament hosted at his property.
- April 12, 2025 – Ringside at UFC 314 in Miami, seen with Elon Musk.
- June 7, 2025 – Attended another UFC fight in Newark, New Jersey.
- July 13, 2025 – On stage at FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, celebrating with Chelsea players and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
- September 7, 2025 – Appeared at the U.S. Open men’s singles final in New York, becoming the first sitting president to attend since 2000.
- Late September 2025 – Expected to attend the Ryder Cup golf tournament.
- July 4, 2026 – White House set to host a UFC event as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations.
- 2026 – Anticipated to be present during the FIFA World Cup across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
A Super Bowl First
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Redspork02
In February 2025, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. He showed up at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, where the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles. His appearance was wrapped in heavy security, but it also signaled a new precedent. The most-watched television event in the country now had a presidential audience in the stands.
That outing was followed a week later by another high-octane event, the Daytona 500. Trump had previously attended the race in his first term, but this time he rode in the presidential limousine for a pace lap around the Florida track before the race began. That visual alone locked in headlines for its mix of political theater with NASCAR tradition.
Wrestling, Fighting, and Golf
March brought Trump to Philadelphia for the NCAA wrestling championships. He attended the finals while applauding from the stands as young college athletes competed for national titles. For a president who has long connected with working-class sports audiences, the wrestling championships were a clear fit.
In April, his focus literally shifted to his own turf. Trump landed Marine One directly on the course at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida to attend the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tournament that his property was hosting.
Later that month, he jumped back into the fight game. Trump attended UFC 314 in Miami on April 12, where he was spotted with Elon Musk and Musk’s son in the crowd. Just weeks later, on June 7, he was back ringside for another UFC event, this time in Newark, New Jersey. Trump has long cultivated ties with UFC CEO Dana White, and his repeated appearances at these events show how closely he aligns himself with the brand’s booming popularity.
A Viral Soccer Stage
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Vamos Palmeiras
Trump’s highest-profile outing so far came on July 13, 2025, when he attended the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. As Chelsea celebrated their title on stage, Trump joined FIFA president Gianni Infantino in handing out awards. He lingered with the team long enough to spark confusion among players, with Infantino eventually nudging him behind them.
Videos of the moment went viral because of the mixed crowd reaction, which included loud boos and scattered cheers.
Tennis Returns to the Presidential Calendar
In September 2025, Trump appeared at the U.S. Open men’s singles final in New York. He became the first president since Bill Clinton in 2000 to attend the event at Flushing Meadows. Security delays caused by his arrival even forced a slight schedule adjustment.
As with most of his sports outings, the crowd’s response was divided as he entered. He was joined by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and granddaughter, Arabella.
Mixing Sports and Politics
While the list of appearances is long, the strategy behind them is clear. Trump has always seen sports as an extension of political culture. In his first term, he often clashed with leagues over protests and player activism, but his second term has brought a change.
Teams and leagues are more willing to embrace his presence, and he is using that stage to connect directly with fans who align with his base. The White House has even teased future spectacles, including a UFC event on the South Lawn set for July 4, 2026, as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations.
His closeness with Infantino also ties directly into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. If the Club World Cup cameo was any preview, expect Trump to be highly visible when the world’s biggest tournament arrives on American soil.
Looking Back at His First Presidency
This isn’t Trump’s first time adding sports into his political persona. In his initial years in office, he showed up at the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2020, stood on the field for the national anthem at another title game in 2018, and appeared at the Army-Navy Game in multiple years.
He attended Game 5 of the 2019 World Series in Washington, where the home crowd loudly booed him, and he also sat ringside at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden just a week later. His sports involvement stretches back even further.
Decades before the presidency, he attended Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, appeared ringside for the Floyd Mayweather–Manny Pacquiao fight in 2015, and made himself visible at Yankees games. He even owned the New Jersey Generals in the United States Football League in the 1980s, a team he tried to push into a direct battle with the NFL.
A Presidential Playbook Unlike Any Other
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore
Trump’s sports calendar has already set records in 2025: he is the first sitting president at the Super Bowl, the first sitting president at the U.S. Open in 25 years, and has held high-profile roles at UFC and FIFA events. No other president has so aggressively inserted himself into the sports arena, not only as a spectator but as a figure tied to the spectacle itself.