President Donald Trump is skeptical about the National Football League continuing to hold its first-ever game in Paris amid protests.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are still set to kick off Sunday despite the civil unrest and a Paris Saint-Germain soccer game the same day being postponed.
Paris police requested a postponement of the PSG game because police and security resources are stretched thin due to mass protests, ongoing civil unrest and France’s first NFL game happening in the region, per multiple reports.
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The NFL said in a reply to an email from OutKick and Fox News Digital that the PSG game did not impact any potential decision to move the Steelers-Saints game. However, Trump said the NFL “could’ve probably postponed that match.”
“It’s looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it. I would’ve said the NFL could’ve probably postponed that match… France is really in trouble,” Trump told reporters on Friday.
Trump then took a shot at Democratic policies.
“That’s what happens when you go left. That’s what happens when you allow unlimited numbers of people into your country from very unfriendly countries.”
The NFL has insisted multiple times this week that Sunday’s game in France will be safe to play and safe for fans to attend amid civil unrest. However, the Steelers canceled a fan event in the area.
According to a league source, the topics discussed at the two-hour gathering included security for the game, the readiness of the Stade de France, where the game is to be played and the growth of flag football in France.
Organizers of the Paris protest told the Associated Press that an administrative court overturned a protest ban issued by police after they challenged it. The Paris prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with officers, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend.
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The organizers signed a police document stating that the protest would remain stationary due to the risk of violence.
Earlier this week, Dani Watt, the wife of Steelers defensive end TJ Watt, questioned publicly why the game has not been moved.
“Tell me how this one makes sense???” Watt posted.
The NFL on Thursday told OutKick that its own NFL Fan House event scheduled for Friday and Saturday remains as scheduled.
“It’s happening,” a league spokesman said.
On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he would attend the game and had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in recent days about moving forward with it.
Rubio told OutKick that the American embassy in France believes the game “will be fine.”
OutKick’s Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
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