Security expert proposes theory behind Donald Trump’s early Super Bowl exit

It seems America’s biggest dignitary didn’t want to stick around for the entire Super Bowl last weekend. Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to attend the game on Sunday, but he didn’t stay until the end.

Security expert Will Geddes told LADbible his theory as to why the former star of the Celebrity Apprentice left early. As per the expert, for Trump to attend a game of such magnitude would require:

"Massive secret service and additional security support to make sure that it could happen and he’d need to be gone before the vast masses of people exiting the stadium would leave."

Taking off before a game is over is not unusual, regardless of the event, as many people want to beat traffic and get home on time. For Geddes, though, it’s especially complicated when you’re the most powerful man in the country.

"One of the biggest problems you have with security is holding someone in an environment like that for any extended period, and if at the end of the game, when the final whistle blows, they would have to be held because you couldn’t take them out in the mass," Geddes added.

Meanwhile, a president’s schedule is so hectic that it’d be difficult for them to get to various events and/or prepare for busy days ahead if they were to always attend everything until its conclusion.

Donald Trump’s situation parallels red-carpet events

Thousands of celebrities attend the Super Bowl each year, not too dissimilar to actors walking the red carpet for movie premieres or award shows.

Will Geddes says that for a politician like Trump, it’s a lot of the same circumstances, as he’s a recognizable face who will stop and shake some hands, but staying too long would create some issues. Geddes adds that getting in and out at a convenient time is essential because security demands are so tight at big events like movie premieres or big games.

According to Geddes, preparing for the president to attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday would have required huge planning.

"They would have had snipers, no doubt in position in a variety of different areas, and you’ll have spotters," Geddes said.

He adds that at events like the Super Bowl, security does its utmost to try and meet the wishes of the public, but they’d also have to make the call sometimes on what was safe and what wasn’t.

While the president left before the Philadelphia Eagles were officially crowned Super Bowl champions, the game itself never looked in doubt, with Philly beating the Kansas City Chiefs comfortably, 40-22.