Donald Trump hands out hot dogs and chats with fans at the Alabama vs. Georgia game

Donald Trump is no stranger to college football. Based on his track record, he could be an Alabama Crimson Tide fan.

Saturday's game against Georgia was the Republican presidential candidate's third time watching Alabama football up close and his second time watching the Crimson Tide defeat the Bulldogs. Alabama took a 41-34 win in a nail-biting duel.

However, it was the first time Trump sat in Bryant-Denny Stadium without the title of president.

Earlier this month, Trump showed up to the Cy Hawk series to watch Iowa and Iowa State. Perhaps the Cyclones' 20-19 thriller inspired him to secure a suite to the game of the year between Alabama and Georgia, two teams ranked in the top five nationally.

As a campaign stop, Trump used the opportunity to increase his favorability in Alabama, a state that has not voted or been a Democratic candidate since 1976, but also in the swing state of Georgia, which he won in his 2020 run against President Joe Biden Biden lost re-election as president.

Matchday in Tuscaloosa: How did Miss Terry Saban fare on her “College GameDay” picks? Here are their winners

A half-time exit could be considered one of football's cardinal sins. It's definitely a decision that wouldn't win many points for the sports' hardcore fans in Alabama and Georgia. But the early departure was not without reason for the 78-year-old, as he decided the show had to go on long before he landed in Tuscaloosa.

Trump's appearance between Alabama and Georgia was delayed after the afternoon appearance in Wisconsin

Trump was only present for about a quarter and a half of the event.

His stay might have been longer had there not been a lengthy travel delay after a 2:30 p.m. appointment in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Before the attacks on July 13 and September 15, it would have been called a “rally.” On Saturday, the event was described as Trump's “delivering remarks.”

Compared to the six college football games he attended during his tenure, Trump's security presence for Alabama-Georgia was at its peak.

Fans clung to the fences at Tuscaloosa National Airport for nearly three hours, waiting for his arrival. They were eager to see if he would step out of his signature favorite plane – a Boeing 757 – wearing his red tie.

However, “Trump Force One” did not show up because Tuscaloosa National lacked the runway required for the jumbo jet. That meant Trump had to make a stopover in Birmingham to transfer to a smaller private plane escorted by the Secret Service.

However, the remaining Trump supporters got their red tie.

Trump chats with fans at Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Twenty-two Tuscaloosa City Police and Alabama State Troopers motorcycles led a large motorcade that led Trump and his staff from the airport to Bryant-Denny.

For a game day in T-Town, the streets were eerily empty. Upon arrival, the silence outside the stadium was deafening.

Think of it as the calm before the storm.

The smell of alcohol and nearby popcorn machines filled the air as fans piled on top of each other, drunkenly chanting “Make America great again” to greet the former president.

With a broad grin, he accepted their hospitality and even offered the fist pump seen in the photo taken shortly after an assassination attempt on his life in July.

Trump visited a concession stand to hand out hot dogs and other game day food to fans before heading into the evening with Alabama well ahead. He left before the Crimson Tide lost their lead late in the second half and gathered all his strength to secure the victory.

“USA!” erupts in the stadium. Chants for Trump

After chatting with fans, Trump headed to his East Skybox Suite, where he walked up to fans and delivered his first refrain, “USA! USA! USA!” heard. out of the stadium.

Although Trump attracted some attention, football continued to take precedence. The Crimson Tide football player's parents appeared upset by his performance because it prevented a bird's-eye view of the game.

Even after his presence was announced over the public address system 12:40 before halftime, fans found it hard not to notice that underdog Alabama was ahead 28-0 on Jalen Milroe's second touchdown of the night.

For Crimson Tide fans, there seemed to be a shared consensus at the end of the day if jerseys, game day pins and the occasional verbal retort were any indication.

It was a collective call to vote not for Trump but for Alabama's recently retired legendary head coach.

“Saban as president.”

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached by email at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Tuscaloosa News: Donald Trump hands out hot dogs and mingles with fans at the Alabama-Georgia game