Trump Heads to Tennessee After Cancelling Alabama Football Trip Over Hurricane Isaias

President Donald Trump has canceled his planned visit to the Alabama-Georgia college football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday, citing Hurricane Isaias and concerns that his presence could distract first responders. He will proceed with a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday to support Republican candidates ahead of the November elections.

Writing on social media, Trump said it was “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.” He added, “Therefore, I will miss that potentially unbelievable Game, Alabama vs Georgia, but, hopefully, the Game will go on despite the weather!”

Hurricane Isaias Threatens the Southeastern U.S.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Isaias had strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane by Friday, with landfall expected later that night near the Alabama-Florida border. Alabama, Florida and Georgia had declared states of emergency, and National Guard members had been deployed in areas expected to face the storm’s effects.

The hurricane threatened damaging winds, heavy rainfall and power outages across parts of the Southeast. The University of Alabama said, “At this time there are no plans to alter the contest.” University and Southeastern Conference officials continued to monitor conditions ahead of the scheduled 6:30 p.m. Central Time kickoff Saturday.

Georgia’s campus in Athens is about 275 miles east of Alabama’s campus in Tuscaloosa. Georgia’s associate sports communications director said Friday that the team’s travel plans remained unchanged and on schedule.

Trump Keeps Tennessee Campaign Rally on Schedule

Trump is scheduled to appear at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time, with doors opening at 11 a.m., according to the event announcement. The rally is intended to support Tennessee Republicans, including Sen. Bill Hagerty, who is seeking reelection, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor. Early voting in Tennessee is scheduled to begin Oct. 14.

Blackburn welcomed Trump’s planned visit in a statement, saying, “Tennessee stands tall as a red wall of conservatism. The Volunteer State is Trump country, and it’s an honor to welcome the President back to Tennessee.” The rally will mark Trump’s second visit to Tennessee in two weeks. Two Saturdays earlier, he traveled to Knoxville to attend the Texas-Tennessee college football game, where Texas defeated Tennessee 20-17.

Trump Had Expressed Reluctance to Skip Alabama Game

Trump indicated Wednesday that he was reluctant to miss the Alabama-Georgia matchup despite the approaching hurricane. “Well, hurricane and football? I love Alabama. I gotta go to the game. It’d be awfully hard,” Trump told reporters on Oct. 7 when asked whether the storm could change his plans.

Trump had been scheduled to attend his second college football game in three weeks. Had he attended Saturday’s matchup, it would have been his 10th college football game as president since 2017, according to reports. Following the cancellation, Trump said, “I will be visiting both of those Teams at a later date,” without specifying when he would visit Alabama and Georgia.