On Monday, shortly after his inauguration, President Donald Trump appeared in a pre-recorded video that was aired on ESPN during the halftime of the College Football Playoff national championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

During halftime, ESPN interrupted its coverage to show Trump’s video message, where he began with a substantial political commentary about his first day in office before transitioning to the game details.

“To all the players and fans tuning in tonight, I understand it has been a long and tough road. It’s been an enduring season, but now we have two outstanding teams. Go out there, play hard, compete fairly, and may the best team win. I look forward to watching. Thank you and good night,” he stated.

The video was pre-recorded earlier on the same day and aired just hours after Trump took the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States. That evening, he was present at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., where he signed numerous executive orders.

An ESPN representative commented on the inclusion of Trump’s message, noting, “With Donald Trump’s inauguration coinciding with the day of the CFP National Championship, it is fitting to feature a message from the President. This is a practice we often see during significant sporting events – similar to President Biden’s message before the Sugar Bowl earlier this month.”

ESPN also referenced President Joe Biden’s message that aired ahead of the Sugar Bowl, which was postponed after a tragic incident in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, where 14 people lost their lives and 30 others were injured when a driver drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street.

Trump had previously attended the national championship games during his presidency. He was present at the 2018 College Football Playoff national championship in Atlanta between Alabama and Georgia, as well as the 2020 title game in New Orleans featuring LSU versus Clemson.