Trump Questions NFL Decision to Play in Paris: Says France Is in Trouble and the Game Could Have Been Postponed
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on October 23 that he was concerned about the NFL going ahead with this week's international game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints in Paris, and that the game could have been postponed, as he left for a rally in Florida (per USA TODAY).
"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." He attributed France's situation to its political direction and immigration policy.
The game, the NFL's first regular-season game in France, is scheduled for Sunday local time at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. France has seen large-scale anti-government protests over the cost of living and public education that have devolved into rioting and looting, with more than 2,000 arrests nationwide; Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu this week asked regional authorities to enforce partial evening curfews. A Ligue 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been moved from Sunday, October 25 to Monday, October 26 at the request of the Paris police prefecture, to ease the strain on police ahead of another expected wave of protests.
The NFL is standing by its plan. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the situation in France and the league's security plans, and put his comfort level at "very high," adding, "We're guests in the country." Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's vice president for international and club business, said this week the league was "never close" to moving the game and remains confident in its operational and security plans, working with Paris and French authorities and the U.S. State Department. Both the Steelers and the Saints had arrived in France as of October 23.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：特朗普总统在安德鲁斯联合基地登上空军一号（2026年10月5日，白宫官方照片，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons；资料图）。 / President Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on October 5, 2026. Official White House photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (file photo).
