Trump Skips Super Bowl Amid Plummeting Popularity

Former president avoids public event due to fear of being booed, says analysis

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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According to a new analysis, former President Donald Trump is skipping the Super Bowl this year because he is more unpopular than he has been since the January 6 insurrection. Experts say Trump knows he would be mercilessly booed if cameras found him in the stands, so he is opting to stay home and post on Truth Social instead.

Why it matters

Trump's absence from the high-profile Super Bowl event is seen as a sign of his declining cultural relevance and political power, just a year after he was a ubiquitous presence at major sporting events. The analysis suggests Trump's unpopularity has reached a point where he fears public humiliation, marking a sharp reversal from his previous dominance of American culture.

The details

New Republic Senior Editor Alex Shephard says Trump regularly travels on a taxpayer-funded plane but is now claiming the Super Bowl is 'too far away' to attend. Shephard argues this is not about inconvenience, but rather Trump's fear of being loudly booed by the crowd. A year ago, Trump was a regular presence at major sporting events and even had a celebratory 'Trump dance' performed by athletes. But now, Shephard says, Trump is a 'pariah hiding at home' as his allies can only muster 'one of the most talentless performers' for counter-programming.

  • Trump attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans a year ago.
  • Trump will not be attending Super Bowl LX this year.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who is now widely unpopular and avoiding public events like the Super Bowl.

Alex Shephard

A senior editor at The New Republic who authored an analysis on Trump's declining cultural relevance.

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What they’re saying

“Trump isn't going to the Super Bowl because he is, one year into his term, more unpopular than he's been since the January 6 insurrection. He knows that when the cameras inevitably found him in his box, he would be mercilessly and loudly booed.”

— Alex Shephard, Senior Editor, The New Republic (The New Republic)

“A year ago, it seemed like the right was on the verge of total dominance throughout American society. Now they're back to pretending to like Kid Rock, while everyone in the country gets to enjoy the real Super Bowl halftime show.”

— Alex Shephard, Senior Editor, The New Republic (The New Republic)

What’s next

Trump's continued absence from high-profile events will likely be closely watched as a barometer of his waning political and cultural influence.

The takeaway

Trump's decision to skip the Super Bowl due to fears of being booed underscores his dramatic fall from cultural relevance, just a year after he was a ubiquitous presence at major sporting events. This reversal highlights the fierce backlash he now faces across American society.