Former President Donald Trump arrived in Alabama ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated Crimson Tide-Georgia Bulldogs game in Tuscaloosa.
Several X users noted that Trump’s plane arrived in Birmingham earlier in the day.
Unfortunately for the approximately 100,000 attendees, Trump’s presence required increased security, leading to long lines for fans.
“Trump is making Alabama a swing state with this security,” one Tide fan wrote on X along with a photo of hundreds of Alabamans waiting to enter Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The good news for fans is that the game ranks as one of the most anticipated on the college football calendar, with the Bulldogs entering at No. 2 and the Tide maintaining the No. 4 ranking in the AP Top-25.
A view of the stickers used by fans at the Alabama Crimson Tide-Georgia Bulldogs game
Fans wait outside Bryant-Denny Stadium as security tightens before the game.
Trump has arrived at Bryant-Denny Stadium for the game between Alabama and Georgia
Trump’s presence was anticipated Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Fans were seen wearing stickers with his face and the now infamous quote: ‘They’re eating the Dawgs,’ a nod to his controversial comments about Haitian immigrants along with a criticism of Georgia.
A luxury suite inside Bryant-Denny Stadium appeared to have glass added in front of it, likely where Trump will sit.
By attending the Georgia-Alabama game, Trump will see two teams that have dominated college football for the past decade. Seven of the last nine CFP title games have featured at least one of them.
The 2017 season title game and the 2021 edition were contested between conference foes, with one school winning each.
In campaign terms, Trump is entering a Republican stronghold of Alabama, as he tries to win back Georgia, after losing the state to Joe Biden in 2020. Trump won Georgia over Hilary Clinton in 2016.
Kamala Harris plans to brutally mock Trump for his refusal to debate her a second time when she attends the game.
And as he watches from the stands, the 78-year-old will be trolled in the sky by his electoral rival Kamala.
According cnnHarris campaign officials plan to fly a small plane over Bryant-Denny Stadium with a banner that reads: “Trump’s Punting on 2nd Debate.”
However, the daring plane stunt is not the only way they will try to convince Trump to participate in a second debate.
The Harris campaign is also believed to air a national television ad during the game on ESPN, in which Kamala will ask her bitter adversary to argue with her one more time.
“Winners never back down from a challenge,” the ad’s narrator is quoted as saying. ‘Champions know it’s anytime, anywhere. But the losers complain, talk and take the ball home.
Harris’ campaign is said to have accepted CNN’s request for a second debate next month, but Trump has not yet done so.
The former president argues that the proposed date of October 23 is too late on the calendar, given that early voting has already begun in some states. However, both the 2020 and 2016 elections included mid-October debates in which he participated.
Secret Service members searched many people entering Bryant-Denny Stadium.
About 100,000 people are expected to attend the game between Georgia and Alabama
Trump greets attendees at the Alabama-Georgia game as he himself enters the venue
Large crowds formed outside the stadium in Tuscaloosa as Trump himself arrived at the venue.
The teams also met in last year’s SEC Championship Game and Alabama ended Georgia’s 28-game winning streak.
Before attending the crucial football game, Trump spoke at a rally in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, three hours west of Milwaukee.
This is the first Alabama game Trump has attended since leaving office. He attended the first national championship matchup between the teams in early 2018, where Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts at halftime and led the Crimson Tide to an overtime victory.
The last time Trump saw Alabama play live was in 2019, when he was in Tuscaloosa for its loss to a Joe Burrow-led LSU team.
Anyone with access to the stadium covering the game had to undergo a Secret Service check of their cars, including opening the hood and having their vehicle sniffed by a canine.