Donald Trump was serenaded with chants of ‘USA’ by adoring football fans as he arrived to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers face the New York Jets on Sunday night.
As the prime-time NFL game kicked off, Trump could be seen disembarking his private jet after touching down in Pittsburgh, where controversial former Steelers star Antonio Brown was bizarrely waiting to greet him on the tarmac.
And after making his way to Acrisure Stadium, the Republican leader lapped up a huge ovation from the home crowd upon arrival.
Trump, who stood and waved through the window of his private suite, even appeared to join in when Steelers fans began chanting ‘USA’ in their hundreds.
After the warm reception, he eventually took his seat to enjoy Sunday’s NFL action.
Donald Trump waved to adoring fans after arriving at the Jets-Steelers game in Pittsburgh
He jetted to Pittsburgh on Sunday after a rally in Lancaster to watch some NFL action
Trump has been spending time in western Pennsylvania this weekend as he tries to win back the state that went his way in 2016 but flipped blue in 2020 in next month’s election.
At a rally in Latrobe on Saturday, he brought out former Pittsburgh wide receiver Brown to endorse him on stage.
Brown, who left Pittsburgh when he was traded to Las Vegas in 2018, mocked Democrat candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz when addressing the crowd, before helping register Trump voters at Acrisure Stadium prior to kickoff on Sunday night.
Nevertheless, Trump is taking time out of his hectic election campaign to enjoy some NFL action this evening.
Before he arrived at the game, he left fans in stitches after sharing a bizarre AI photo which shows him in Steelers uniform, seemingly confirming the team he would be rooting for in Pittsburgh.
He was in the house for a pivotal encounter, too, as both the Steelers and the Jets were in desperate need of a victory in Week 7.
Russell Wilson was making his first competitive appearance at quarterback for Pittsburgh after replacing Justin Fields as starter in a controversial move by head coach Mike Tomlin.
Fans could be heard serenading the former president with chants of ‘USA’ in his private suite
He even appeared to join in the chants as the Steelers crowd gave him a huge ovation
Trump has been spending time in western Pennsylvania this weekend ahead of the election
He eventually took his seat to enjoy some prime-time NFL action late on Sunday night
Trump shared a bizarre AI photo of himself in Steelers uniform before arriving at the game
New York, meanwhile, went into the game on the back of a three-game skid, though new wide receiver Davante Adams was on the field for his Jets debut after reuniting with legendary quarterback and good friend Aaron Rodgers.
Yet in the end it was the Steelers who prevailed in a dominant showing, blowing the Jets away 37-15 on the night.
It remains to be seen whether Trump crosses paths again with Rodgers, who could have been his political rival after nearly becoming Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate for the election earlier this year.
Entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan eventually got the job but the Jets star said: ‘I love Bobby. We had a couple really nice conversations.’
Rodgers has developed a close relationship with Kennedy Jr. in recent years, with both men notably skeptic of vaccines.
He has bumped into Trump after flirting with the idea of running with Kennedy Jr., shaking hands at a UFC event earlier this year after fans initially claimed the former president had snubbed him.
However, the four-time NFL MVP was critical of him during an appearance on the Look Into It podcast earlier this year.
The Republican leader was seen walking off his private jet as the big game kicked off
Trump was bizarrely greeted on the tarmac by Antonio Brown after landing in Pittsburgh
The controversial ex-NFL star addressed the crowd at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania Saturday
Brown was waiting for the 78-year-old when he touched down in Pittsburgh on Sunday
Trump could be seen speaking with him after walking off his private jet in Pittsburgh
‘Trump, okay, Trump’s an outsider, all the rhetoric, we’re going to drain a swamp and go after the corruption. And I don’t think a lot happened,’ he said about Donald’s first term in office.
Rodgers was also frustrated that Trump followed the advice of Dr. Tony Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘What I fault him for is Tony Fauci, because he is an establishment pharmacrat since he got in, and he’s been in forever, and he’s the highest paid government official,’ Rodgers said.
‘And he let, and not only did Trump push the vaccine, Operation Warp Speed, or whatever the [heck] it was, but he let Fauci stay in charge and shut the country down.
‘So my thing on politics is I’ve always had the [freaking] sham because the majority of them are all juiced in, and it’s run by the big banks, the big pharma, the lobbyists, the big everything, right? That doesn’t give a [expletive] deep down about the American people, all they care about is profits, power and control.’
The Steelers sent a message to their fans ahead of Trump’s visit for their Sunday Night Football matchup against the Jets.
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are taking on the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday evening
Rodgers previously crossed paths with Trump while at a UFC event earlier this year
As the team coordinated with officials to get their security all set before the contest, the team informed supporters of logistical plans for the game.
‘With former President Trump expected to attend Sunday night’s game as a guest of an individual suite holder, we are working with Secret Service and local authorities to ensure the safety and security of all our fans,’ the team’s statement read.
‘As always we will work to make the fan experience the same as it always is for every Steelers’ home game at Acrisure Stadium.
‘We encourage fans to arrive early to the parking lots and to the gates so that they can enjoy our pregame experience and our celebrations throughout the game that will honor the 50th anniversary of our Super Bowl IX team.’