Former President Trump will be on hand for one of the most anticipated college football matchups in Week 5, according to political commentator Mark Halperin.
Trump, the Republican candidate in this year’s presidential election, heads to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa to watch the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide take on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28.
Both the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are undefeated, making this early SEC rivalry game a big one in terms of polling and College Football Playoff implications.
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Republican presidential nominee former President Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Sept. 13, 2024. (AP/Jae C. Hong)
This is also a significant appearance for Trump because it will come almost two weeks after the Secret Service opened fire on a concealed suspect who appeared to be aiming a rifle at the former president at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, fled the scene on Sunday, but Florida law enforcement soon arrested him after surrounding his vehicle on Interstate 95. He is being charged in federal court with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as well as possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, with more charges expected.
A public appearance of this magnitude, at a stadium expecting thousands to show up for the signature SEC matchup, poses a potential security problem for the Secret Service.
However, this isn’t the first time Trump will watch some football in Tuscaloosa. While he was president in 2019, Trump attended the Alabama-LSU game in November, a thriller in which the Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide on the road, 46-41.
Republican presidential nominee former President Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, Ariz., on Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
It’s a similar situation in this week’s matchup as LSU was No. 2 in the country at that time, while Nick Saban’s Alabama was No. 3, and both were undefeated to that point.
Trump received a standing ovation from the Crimson Tide faithful when he was spotted inside Bryant-Denny Stadium during a commercial break, and it’s likely to happen again in the red state.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that lawmakers were prepared to give the Secret Service more resources after the second assassination attempt on Trump, the first of which came at a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump participates in a Fox News Town Hall with Sean Hannity at the New Holland Arena on Sept. 4, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Trump saw the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide pitted against one another during the national championship game in 2018 in Atlanta, where Alabama edged out Georgia, 26-23.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
