WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump questioned the NFL’s decision to play an international regular-season matchup in France this weekend, suggesting Friday that the league should have postponed the contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints amid widespread street unrest in Paris.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday before departing for a campaign rally in Florida, Trump cited escalating demonstrations across France that have led to mass arrests, property damage, and partial curfews.
“You worry about it,” Trump said. “I think it looks like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France so you worry about it. I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match. France is really in trouble. That’s what happens when you go left. That’s what happens when you allow unlimited numbers of people into your country from very unfriendly countries.”
Protests and Postponements in Paris
The matchup, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25, at Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis, marks the league’s first regular-season contest in France. Both teams had already arrived in the country by Friday, according to USA Today.
France has experienced mounting civil unrest in recent weeks, with demonstrators protesting the high cost of living and deteriorating conditions in the public school system. Protests have repeatedly turned violent, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests nationwide. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu urged regional officials earlier in the week to impose partial evening curfews to help restore order.
Security concerns have already disrupted other major sporting events in the capital. The French soccer league moved a domestic Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon from Sunday to Monday night following a directive from the Préfecture de Police de Paris. That venue change was made to free up law enforcement personnel to safeguard central Paris and monitor the NFL contest, USA Today reported.
In addition, an official weekend gathering for Steelers fans was called off on Thursday due to security worries, The Independent reported. Cultural institutions, including museums, also prepared to close doors ahead of demonstrations planned for Saturday.
NFL Maintains High Security Confidence
Despite the volatile environment, league executives have firmly stated they have no intention of shifting or calling off the game. Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s vice president for international and club business, said the league was “never close” to relocating the event and remains confident in its protocols.
O’Reilly noted that organizers are coordinating hour-by-hour operations alongside French police authorities and the U.S. State Department. Stade de France sits roughly six miles from the neighborhoods hit hardest by looting during the prior week’s clashes.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters Wednesday that his comfort level was “very high,” remarking that public street protests “are not unusual in France.” Goodell confirmed he consulted directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding security precautions for players and traveling staff.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed that confidence while speaking from the team’s hotel in Paris on Friday. “The NFL is alert to what’s going on,” Rodgers said, according to The Independent. “This game means a lot to the NFL. If it was unsafe, then I’m sure we wouldn’t be here.”
The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning late Thursday advising Americans attending the game to stay vigilant, monitor surroundings, and anticipate unexpected alterations to protest routes throughout the Paris metropolitan area as demonstrations continue through the weekend.
