Saturday’s SEC matchup between Alabama and Georgia will now be without President Donald Trump in the crowd.
Trump, who was expected to attend the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., said Friday that he will not be going due to extreme weather threats from Hurricane Isaias.
“Based on the fact that a huge Hurricane/Storm is coming, it is important to have our wonderful First Responders, Law Enforcement, and others, focused on that Storm, and in no way be thinking about the safety, or presence, of the President of the United States, ME!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon.
Trump added that he plans to attend games for both teams later in the season.
“Therefore, I will miss that potentially unbelievable Game, Alabama vs. Georgia but, hopefully, the Game will go on despite the weather! I will be visiting both of those Teams at a later date.”
Hurricane Isaias, which is expected to make landfall along the Gulf Coast late Friday evening, poses a major threat to the Southeast, with Tuscaloosa near its expected path.
Precautions surrounding the game have already been taken, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” programming moving inside to Alabama’s basketball arena due to the weather.
Despite the hurricane — which is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 storm by the time it reaches the coast — Saturday’s game is still on as of Friday evening, with Alabama insisting that the school is looking at the weather.
“Alabama athletics continues to closely monitor the weather forecast ahead of Saturday’s football game, with the safety and well-being of the student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans as our highest priority,” the university said in a statement Wednesday night.
“We remain in close communication with the National Weather Service, the Southeastern Conference office and the University of Georgia as we observe conditions.
