Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made an appearance night’s NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium.
The former US president was spotted in the luxury box, waving to fans and soaking in the atmosphere as chants of “USA” rang out across the stadium.
Fresh off a campaign stop in Pennsylvania that included a stint working at a local McDonald’s, Donald Trump’s presence at the game capped a busy weekend of election rallies in the swing state.
Earlier in the day, Trump was joined by two controversial ex-Steelers, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, who endorsed the GOP candidate. Before kickoff, Brown and Bell distributed Trump-Vance rally towels outside the stadium and encouraged people to register to vote. The two former football stars have a complicated history with the Steelers, having left the team under tense circumstances in 2019.
Antonio Brown, in particular, is remembered for his tumultuous exit from the Steelers after a series of public incidents. His behaviour has since alienated him from the NFL, though he did win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being let go.
Before the lead-up to Sunday’s game, Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself in a Steelers jersey on his social media account. The altered photo was posted ahead of the Week 7 matchup.
When he arrived at the game, Donald Trump was greeted by supporters outside the stadium, including fans sporting Pittsburgh jerseys and holding a banner that read “Trump Nation.” The energy in the stands was palpable when a female fan ran onto the field in the third quarter, carrying a pro-Trump sign before being escorted off by security.
The Steelers organisation remained neutral regarding Trump’s attendance, with a spokesperson confirming that the former president was invited by a private suite holder and not the team itself.
Meanwhile, other Steelers icons, including Hall of Famers Joe Greene and Jerome Bettis, have endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris ahead of the November 5 presidential elections.
