Former President Donald Trump has 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 necessitated increased security, leading to extremely long lines for fans.
“Trump is making Alabama a swing state with this security,” one Tide fan wrote on X next to 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 matchups on the college football calendar, with the Bulldogs coming in at No. 2 and the Tide at No. 4 in the AP Top-25.
A look at the stickers fans wore during the Alabama Crimson Tide-Georgia Bulldogs game
Fans wait outside Bryant-Denny Stadium as security is increased before the game
Trump’s presence was expected in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Fans were seen wearing stickers featuring his face and the now infamous quote: ‘They’re Eating the Dawgs’ – a nod to his controversial comments about Haitian immigrants coupled with a dig in Georgia.
When attending the Georgia-Alabama game, Trump will see two teams that have dominated college football over the past decade. Seven of the last nine CFP title games have featured at least one.
The 2017 season title game and the 2021 edition were between conference foes, with one school winning each.
On the campaign front, 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 against Hilary Clinton in 2016.
Kamala Harris plans to brutally taunt Trump over his refusal to debate her for a second time when he attends the match.
And as he watches from the stands, the 78-year-old will reportedly be attacked in the air by election rival Kamala.
According to 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 persuade Trump to hold a second debate.
It is believed that the Harris campaign will also air a national TV ad on ESPN during the match, in which Kamala will call on her bitter opponent to date her again.
“Winners never shy away from a challenge,” says the ad’s narrator. ‘Champions know it can be anytime, anywhere. But losers, they whine and doubt and take their ball home.’
Harris’ campaign reportedly accepted CNN’s request for a second debate next month, but Trump has so far not done so.
The former president argues that the proposed October 23 date is too late in the schedule as early voting has already begun in some states. However, both the 2020 and 2016 elections featured mid-October debates in which he participated.
The teams also faced off in the SEC Championship Game last year, with Alabama ending 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 game in Alabama that Trump has attended since leaving office. He attended the first national championship showdown 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 who attended the game had to undergo a Secret Service check of their car, which included opening the hood and having a dog sniff their vehicle.