Donald Trump's Super Bowl Demand Sparks Outrage – And It's over One Detail

A behind-the-scenes request tied to the U.S. President is set to shape how players take the field at this year's Super Bowl, adding an unexpected political detail to the NFL's biggest game just days before kickoff.

A new uniform patch linked to President Donald Trump has drawn attention ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl. The patch is tied to America250, a bipartisan commission created to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding.

It is set to appear on player jerseys during the upcoming game.

America250 has already launched several events to begin the commemorative year. Trump has spoken publicly about the anniversary and its significance.

According to sources, commissioners from the five major men's professional sports leagues — MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, and NHL — were scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House to discuss America250 plans.

The meeting was canceled due to inclement weather. The White House is seeking to reschedule it before the Super Bowl.

The NFL confirmed its participation in the America250 celebration in November 2025. Since then, the league has introduced several related elements during games.

In Week 18, the San Francisco 49ers–Seattle Seahawks game included a pregame rendition of "God Bless America." The America250 logo has also appeared painted on NFL sidelines throughout the playoffs.

At the time of the announcement, the league said it would include a Super Bowl element but did not share details.

Those details became clearer this week. NBC Sports analyst Devin McCourty traveled to New England to interview Patriots players for pregame coverage.

McCourty shared an image on his Instagram Story showing running back TreVeyon Henderson in full uniform. Henderson's white Patriots jersey included a Super Bowl 60 patch on the upper right side.

On the upper left side was a new patch reading "USA 250." The design shows "USA" against a blue background on top, with "250" below it over vertical red and white stripes. The patch differs from the cursive America250 logo but conveys the same message tied to the anniversary.

The patch's appearance comes as Trump has also made headlines for comments about the Super Bowl itself. In a January 24 Oval Office interview with The New York Post, Trump said he plans to skip this year's game in San Francisco.

He said he disapproved of the halftime performers. "I'm anti-them. I think it's a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible," Trump revealed.

The president was referring to Latin rap artist Bad Bunny and rock band Green Day. Both have been critics of Trump. Bad Bunny, who was born in Puerto Rico, has a large Spanish-language following.

Last year (2025), he released a song titled "Nuevayol" that included an imitated Trump voice saying, "I want to apologize to the immigrants in America. . . . This country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans."

Green Day's lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, also drew attention recently after expressing support for anti-deportation protesters in Minnesota. He stated, "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. I'm not a part of the MAGA agenda."

Trump said the performers were not the main reason he decided not to attend the game. He pointed instead to the location. "It's just too far away. I would. I've [gotten] great hands [at] the Super Bowl. They like me," Trump added. "I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter."

Trump attended last year's Super Bowl in New Orleans, where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were supported by pop star Taylor Swift, whose boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays tight end for the team.

As images of the new "USA 250" patch circulated online, reactions quickly followed. One netizen wrote, "I hope they change the Super Bowl patches soon. This same font every year with the color picture inside is just so bad."

Another person commented, "USA [sic] patch makes it look like a college bowl game jersey." A separate post read, "Honestly silver-white-silver would of been better [sic]." One fan added, "What a joke of a choice to do [sic] when you're the home team."

Not all responses were critical. One person expressed, "AWESOME." Another netizen mentioned, "Looks fine to me. No drama here."

As the Super Bowl approaches, the introduction of the "USA 250" patch places the America250 celebration — and President Donald Trump's involvement in it — squarely on the league's biggest stage, making the uniform detail a central part of the game's broader spotlight.