Trump says NFL 'could have probably postponed' Paris game amid French unrest

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the NFL “could have probably postponed” Sunday’s game in Paris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints because of street protests across France, the Associated Press reported.

“I think maybe it’s looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before boarding Marine One for a rally in Florida. “I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match … because France is really in trouble.”

Sunday’s game at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of the capital, is the first regular-season NFL game ever staged in France. France is bracing for fresh demonstrations on Saturday against the high cost of living, with museums closing and extra security deployed to prevent a repeat of last week’s violent unrest, which brought more than 2,000 arrests across the country, USA Today reported. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has asked regional authorities to enforce partial evening curfews.

The US State Department issued a security alert late on Thursday, urging Americans at Sunday’s game to “exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings” because “last-minute changes can happen and protests can occur outside planned routes.”

The unrest has already disrupted French sport: Paris Saint-Germain’s game against Lyon, scheduled for Sunday night at Parc des Princes, has been moved to Monday evening at the request of Paris police.

The NFL, however, is holding its line. Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday that preparations were made in consultation with US and French authorities, having spoken to Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the situation. Asked about his comfort level, Goodell said: “Very high. We’re guests in the country.” Rubio told OutKick that the US embassy in Paris “feels the game will be fine” and there is “no indication the game will be impacted in any way”, Front Office Sports reported. The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks. The Steelers cancelled a planned weekend fan event in the Bastille area on Thursday over security concerns.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said at the team’s Paris hotel on Friday that “the NFL is alert to what’s going on”. “If it was unsafe, then I’m sure we wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Sources: AP via TSN · USA Today · Sky Sports · Front Office Sports