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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump issued a message to the Indiana University (15-0) and University of Miami (13-2) programs ahead of tonight's College Football Playoff championship game.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, where he spent the weekend, sits about 60 miles north of the stadium. The Palm Beach Post reported that the president flew out of West Palm Beach on Marine One Monday afternoon, landed at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, and then traveled by motorcade to the game.
Donald Trump's VIP Suite: Who is Sitting With the President?
The president attended the showdown at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former U.S. senator from Florida who earned his law degree from the University of Miami in 1996 after graduating from the University of Florida in 1993.
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Trump was seated alongside Republican Senator Jim Banks of Indiana, according to Politico. Philip Melanchthon Wegmann, White House reporter for Real Clear Politics, reported that other political allies and administration figures present included Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Dan Scavino, a longtime aide and former White House deputy chief of staff for communications, Steven Cheung, a senior communications adviser, and Boris Epshteyn, a close political strategist and adviser to the president. UFC CEO and Trump ally Dana White was also seen chatting with the president.
Trump also watched the game from a VIP suite with members of his south Florida-based family, including his daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and their sons Joseph Frederick and Theo James. Also in the suite were Lara Trump, his daughter‑in‑law; Vanessa Trump, his former daughter‑in‑law; and grandchildren Kai Trump, Luke Trump, and Carolina Trump, Wegmann reported. The family was greeted by a loud roar from the crowd when they appeared on the video board during the national anthem, which was broadcast on ESPN.
Trump's Message to Indiana and Miami
In his message ahead of the College Football Playoff championship, Trump, an avid football fan, said the title game caps a season defined by dedication, sacrifice and hard work, and represents the culmination of months of preparation and competition that have long made college football a distinctly American tradition. He noted that the sport has been woven into U.S. culture for more than 150 years, drawing massive crowds to stadiums each fall and winter and passing its rivalries, traditions and regional loyalties from one generation to the next.
Trump said college football reflects core American values such as family, freedom, unity and hard work, pointing to the discipline of the players, the standards set by coaches and the passion of fans who give the sport its meaning and energy. He congratulated Indiana and Miami for reaching the championship game and offered well-wishes to the players, coaches, families and supporters involved, saying he hoped for a strong contest between two deserving teams.
The president concluded, "Melania and I congratulate the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes on making it to the College Football Playoff National Championship. God bless the talented players and dedicated coaches, the families who love and support them, and the faithful fans who cheer them on. May the best team win!"
Trump's Football Appearances
Trump has made several high‑profile football appearances this season, beginning with his visit to the Washington Commanders’ game against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 9, 2025, where he became the first sitting president in nearly 50 years to attend a regular‑season NFL matchup. The following month, he took part in the 126th Army‑Navy Game in Baltimore, joining service members on the field and participating in pregame ceremonies, including the coin flip. He also attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans last February when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.
Members of the White House Task Force on the 2026 World Cup attended Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game as part of their preparations for a tournament expected to draw millions of visitors to the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Created by President Trump, the task force is coordinating federal security and planning for the event, working with agencies including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and Justice, among others.
“We’re fascinated to see what tonight looks like,” Andrew Giuliani, the task force's executive director, told The Associated Press. “I think tonight especially, the reason why I wanted to be here was because soccer fans can be highly emotional. You’re obviously tonight going to get an emotional fan base with the University of Miami being here that is either going to be very happy or not as happy after the end of this. So I’m very interested to see what that looks like ... and how we can learn from this game for the World Cup.
“It’s not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, but it’s probably one of the closest we’re going get between now and the kickoff to the World Cup.”
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Updates: 1/19/26, 4:46 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 1/19/26, 8:12 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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