Chelsea hero Cole Palmer was left bemused as Donald Trump bizarrely gatecrashed the Blues’ Club World Cup trophy lift.
The US President, who had arrived to a chorus of cheers at MetLife Stadium, watched on as Chelsea secured a surprise 3-0 win against PSG, with Palmer scoring a brace while Joao Pedro was also on target.
Roughly 35 minutes before kickoff, Trump and wife Melania arrived at the nearby Teterboro Airport on the presidential Marine One helicopter from his local golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside First Lady Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
But Trump’s crowning moment came after the final whistle when he took centre stage as the trophy was given to Chelsea.
It was anticipated that the Commander-in-Chief would step aside after giving the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James – as is customary. However, to the bewilderment of many Chelsea players, Trump remained on stage for the entire trophy lift.
Chelsea players were left bemused as Donald Trump stole the limelight during their trophy lift
The president was joined by First Lady Melania Trump (right) to watch the soccer showdown
England hero Palmer looked especially confused by Trump’s actions and appeared to utter the words: ‘What’s he doing?’
Trump had earlier presented Palmer with the golden ball award with the 23-year-old midfielder looking as equally baffled during that presentation.
After presenting medals to both the victors and losers, the Commander-in-Chief was spotted front and center as the Blues hoisted the trophy.
Following his presentation of the trophy to Chelsea, he was asked to leave the stage by Infantino but bizarrely chose to stay put.
And fans on social media shared Palmer’s confusion as some even compared Trump to Chelsea legend John Terry.
Terry infamously wore a full kit as he celebrated Chelsea winning the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 2012 despite the fact that he didn’t play in the game due to suspension.
One fan on X couldn’t resist making a comparison with Terry as they wrote: ‘Trump gone all John Terry’.
Meanwhile, another supporter wrote: ‘Trump ruined the Chelsea celebration photo’.
The US President refused to leave the stage as Chelsea celebrated winning the Club World Cup
Cole Palmer, who scored twice for Chelsea, appeared to utter the words: ‘What’s he doing?’
The president was joined by his wife and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in his suite
Furthermore, another added: ‘Donald trump just stood there waiting for the celebration’.
Another stated: ‘Trump standing clueless in the middle of Chelsea’s celebration photos lifting the trophy is brilliant lmao’.
Another supporter remarked: ‘Chelsea laughing their heads off at Trump joining them for celebration. Good stuff.’
After being spotted touching down near MetLife, Trump surfaced inside the stadium loud cheers could be heard from the 80,000 in attendance.
Trump’s son, Donald Jr . and his girlfriend Bettina Anderson were also seen headed to the game, and they shared a kiss on the runway as they waited for the president to arrive.
The outing falls on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt Trump survived in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, and significant security measures were put in place for his arrival.
As detailed in The Athletic , secret service officials worked with organizers to put together a travel route to the venue, and it was believed he would be behind a pane of bulletproof glass at the game.
The president was put on screen at MetLife during the singing of the national anthem prior to the game, and reports emerged from the stadium that he was booed before the stadium camera cut away from him.
The president salutes the crowd as the national anthem rings around MetLife in New Jersey
Trump and Melania waved to the crowd ahead of the game on Sunday in East Rutherford
Fans took to social media to reference Trump staying put for the eventual trophy lift
Some fans compared Trump’s actions to John Terry wearing a full kit to celebrate Chelsea’s Champions League triumph in 2012 despite not playing in the final
MetLife Stadium later echoed with more boos when Trump, joined by Infantino, made his way out onto the field to present the champions with the trophy.
The president’s involvement in the trophy presentation after the game, which further complicates the required security around the American Commander-in-Chief.
‘When you do the threat and risk assessment, you cover anything that could go wrong: if they were at a mass gathering, what if the stage collapsed?’ Nigel Thomas, a former British Special Air Service (SAS) soldier and founder of security training firm, Blue Mountain Group, told The Athletic.
‘We will have a standard operating procedure for that, for example. You need to be prepared for it, and that takes communication with stadium security and emergency services.’
Despite the security risk, Trump didn’t shy away from the limelight when he bizarrely inserted himself into Chelsea’s celebrations.
