Donald Trump’s appearance at the Super Bowl earlier this year came with a hefty price tag. According to the Daily Mail, newly released figures show the taxpayer bill topped $120,000 for the five-and-a-half-hour stop in New Orleans. The Secret Service racked up $123,411 in costs, mostly for hotels and lodging services tied to the president’s visit.
Back in February, Trump made history as the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl game. He took the field at the Superdome with daughter Ivanka and son Eric, shaking hands with players before kickoff. The 79-year-old then settled in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles, sending the packed crowd into a frenzy as he waved from the sidelines.
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Donald Trump’s Super Bowl trip: Where the money went
The Daily Mail notes more than $65,000 went toward nine hotel bookings, three of them alone costing over $16,000 each. Nearly $18,000 was spent at the Margaritaville Resort. Two additional payments, around $25,000 combined, were listed for lodging services. Another $7,000 went directly to the NFL.
{{/usCountry}}The Daily Mail notes more than $65,000 went toward nine hotel bookings, three of them alone costing over $16,000 each. Nearly $18,000 was spent at the Margaritaville Resort. Two additional payments, around $25,000 combined, were listed for lodging services. Another $7,000 went directly to the NFL.
{{/usCountry}}The tally does not cover meals, flights, or agent pay, which would drive the total even higher. Secret Service staff had been in New Orleans five days before Trump’s arrival, coordinating one of the largest Super Bowl security operations ever staged.
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Tight security and public spotlight
As per the Daily Mail, the precautions were extensive. Law enforcement blanketed the city with drones, rooftop snipers, armed guards, and bomb-sniffing dogs. Vehicles entering the Superdome passed through a massive X-ray machine designed to detect explosives. Trump also met with families of victims from the New Year’s Eve ISIS attack on Bourbon Street, stopping for photos before kickoff.
On the field, he shook hands with Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones, who was chasing a fourth Super Bowl ring. The Eagles crushed the Chiefs that night, 40–22.
Trump has since kept up a steady string of public appearances, each requiring similarly scaled security. At Yankee Stadium on the anniversary of 9/11, the team even installed protective glass panels in front of his seating area.
Asked later on the White House lawn if he feared for his safety, Trump brushed it off. “Not really. I’m really concerned for our country,” he said. “We have a radical left group of lunatics out there, just absolute lunatics and we’re gonna get that problem solved. I’m only concerned for the country," he added, reports the Daily Mail.
FAQs:
How much did Trump’s Super Bowl trip cost taxpayers?
Secret Service expenses alone totaled $123,411, according to the Daily Mail.
What did most of the money go toward?
Over $65,000 went to hotels, with nearly $18,000 at Margaritaville Resort.
Did the figure include meals and travel?
No, the total does not cover meals, flights, or agent pay.
Why was the security operation so large?
Authorities staged one of the biggest Super Bowl security efforts ever, involving drones, guards, and snipers.