Amid another wave of critical headlines about President Donald Trump, this is a fitting time to look back at one of the most memorable unscripted crowd reactions from the opening weeks of his second term. Trump received loud cheers when he appeared on the stadium’s video screens during Super Bowl LIX. Taylor Swift received a sharply different response when cameras found her later in the game. The side-by-side footage soon circulated online under a simple message: “America is back.”
The clip didn’t come from a campaign rally or staged political event, but rather from a stadium packed with football fans watching the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9th, 2025. Trump became the first sitting president in American history to attend a Super Bowl in person. Swift was there to support Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, her boyfriend at the time.
The video shared by the Johnny MAGA account on X begins with Trump standing and saluting during Jon Batiste’s performance of the national anthem. The president appears on the enormous stadium screens as cheers rise throughout the Superdome. Trump acknowledges the reception with a slight smile while maintaining his salute. The clip then cuts to Swift experiencing a noticeably colder welcome from the same crowd.
Trump watched the game from a stadium suite with members of his family and several lawmakers. Before kickoff, he met with relatives of people killed in the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, along with police officers and other emergency personnel. Reuters reported that his appearance marked the first time a sitting president had attended the game in person. His arrival drew a mixture of reactions, while his appearance on the video board during the anthem prompted the cheers captured in the viral footage.
Swift appeared on the video board during the first quarter while sitting in a luxury suite with rapper Ice Spice and friend Ashley Avignone. Boos immediately broke out around the stadium, leaving Swift visibly confused as she looked toward the camera. She appeared to ask those around her what was happening before laughing off the hostile response. The New York Post reported that many of the boos came from Eagles fans dominating the crowd.
The contrasting reactions also arrived after the bitter 2024 presidential campaign. Swift endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris shortly after Trump’s September debate with the Democratic nominee. Trump responded days later with a blunt Truth Social post declaring, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” By Super Bowl Sunday, Trump had returned to the White House and was attending one of the country’s largest sporting events as president.
Watch the contrasting crowd reactions here:
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Trump addressed Swift’s reception after the game, comparing her difficult evening to the Chiefs’ lopsided defeat. “The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift,” he wrote on Truth Social. “She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!” Trump also shared footage contrasting the applause he received with the boos directed at Swift.
The problems for Swift and Kansas City continued on the field, where Philadelphia prevented the Chiefs from winning an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl. The Eagles built a commanding 24-0 halftime lead and extended it to 34-0 before Kansas City finally scored. Kelce finished with four receptions for 39 yards, while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times and threw two interceptions. Philadelphia defeated Kansas City 40-22, with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.