There is no bigger event on the American cultural calendar. The Super Bowl is everything.
And so, harnessing the moment, as he has every moment of the past few weeks, Donald Trump was there in New Orleans – the first time ever that a sitting president has attended this sporting centrepiece.
In a few short weeks, he has made himself, so very intentionally, the omni-present president.
Americans could go weeks without noticing Joe Biden. The world can’t get through a day without noticing Donald Trump or feeling his impact.
But if the optics were the game, the news came on the journey there.
Read more from Sky News:
Donald Trump makes history at Super Bowl
Multiple headlines were generated in another impromptu news conference on board Air Force One.
On Gaza, on tariffs, on Putin, the president made news.
But there was something else he wanted to do first.
As Air Force One crossed into international airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, he signed a ‘presidential proclamation’, renaming the water below the Gulf of America.
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Trump signs ‘Gulf of America Day’ order
With the swipe of a presidential sharpie, he rewrote the map and changed geography – in his orbit anyway.
Then came a flurry of real news, including one move which could genuinely change geography.
On Gaza, he doubled down on his claim to take ownership of the strip, but this time claiming he’d ‘buy’ it.
“We’re committed to buying and owning Gaza,” he said.
It’s not clear from who he would buy the land which is not for sale anyway. And on rebuilding it, his vision has shifted to getting others to do the work.
“As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it, other people may do it through our auspices, but we’re committed to owning it, taking it…”
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Trump on why he wants Canada to be 51st state
Read more: What you need to know about Trump’s Gaza plan
There was a big announcement on tariffs: 25% on steel and aluminum, globally. That’s huge news.
In his last presidency, he levied 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum but then allowed waivers for the two biggest importers – Mexico and Canada. Not this time it seems, for now at least.
And on conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he wouldn’t be drawn on the details of when conversations had taken place.
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Pushed on whether a conversation had happened since he became president or if it was before, he said: “I’ve had it. Let’s just say I’ve had it. And I expect to have many more conversations.”
The president didn’t stay for the end of the Super Bowl. He was back to the White House from where another dramatic week of news and change is certain to emerge.
Today, it will be the tariff announcements. On Tuesday, King Abdullah of Jordan is in Washington to tell the president, presumably, how much he disagrees with his plans for Gaza and how he will not allow Palestinians to be relocated.
On Wednesday, expect more from Elon Musk and his government efficiency drive which is slashing government departments.
And at the end of the week, attention will shift to Ukraine.
At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President JD Vance will lead the US delegation as Western leaders eagerly await President Trump’s plan.
