These days, even the cheapest nosebleed seats at the Super Bowl will set you back a fortune.
While plenty of fans spent hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars to witness Kendrick’s halftime show and what many hoped would be the Eagles ending the Chiefs’ dynasty, few could say they paid more than Donald Trump.
Reports estimate that the sitting President shelled out somewhere between $15 million and $20 million—a cost driven by Secret Service protection, air travel, motorcades, local law enforcement, and enhanced stadium security.
Despite making history as the first sitting U.S. President to attend a Super Bowl, Trump didn’t stay for the whole event. According to a POTUS flight tracker, he left early, with his departure recorded around 8 p.m. local time—right when Lamar was taking the stage for the halftime show.
Naturally, this sparked plenty of speculation online about why he made such an early exit.
Theory One: Trump Is a Chiefs Fan
A popular theory circulating on Twitter suggests that Trump’s apparent frustration stemmed from the Kansas City Chiefs getting dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Trump has never explicitly stated his allegiance to any NFL team, he has spoken more favorably about the Chiefs in the past. Notably, Brittany Mahomes—wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes—is rumored to be a Trump supporter. Additionally, star tight end Travis Kelce once said that it was “an honor” to play in front of any president when asked about Trump attending a game.
This prompted one fan to post a picture of Kelce online with the caption: “Imagine saying ‘it’s an honor’ for Trump to watch you play at the Super Bowl only for him to leave early cause y’all was getting beat so bad. LOOOOSSEEERRRRRR.”
Ultimately, the Chiefs fell short in their bid for a third consecutive Super Bowl victory, suffering a 40-22 defeat.
Theory 2 – Trump Took Offense at Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Performance
While much of the buzz around Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show revolved around his lyrical jabs at Drake, some viewers picked up on what they saw as a direct protest against Donald Trump.
One moment that stood out was a lyric adjustment: “The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” Fans speculated this was a pointed message, possibly aimed at Trump.
Social media quickly reacted. One user tweeted: “Kendrick Lamar dissed Trump and protested the United States in front of him and Trump got scared and left the Super Bowl early. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Another added: “Kendrick knew Trump was in attendance and he still did that. Epic.”
Beyond the lyrics, Lamar also referenced “forty acres and a mule”—a broken promise of land reparations to freed slaves after the Civil War—and featured Samuel L. Jackson in the role of Uncle Sam, further fueling speculation about the performance’s political undertones.
Theory 3 – It Came Down to Logistics
A fan chimed in on the discussion about his early departure, addressing those who noted he had already boarded Air Force One before the match ended. “Not just Trump. All US Presidents leave major events like this early.
“Imagine the security nightmare for Secret Service if he stayed until the end and left at the same time as everyone else. Doing the crowd a favor by leaving early due to road closures for motorcade to pass.”