‘You’re Not Going To See People Dying’—Trump Pushes For College Football As He Brushes Aside Virus Concerns

In an interview with Fox Sports Radio, Trump said that although the virus “attacks older people very viciously,” football players “are very young strong people” so “you’re not going to see people dying.”

While Covid-19 does have a more severe effect on the elderly, young people can also become seriously ill and die. 

On Sunday, the commissioners of the NCAA’s Power 5 conferences—which include the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Big Ten Conference, the Pac-12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference—held a meeting to discuss postponing or canceling all fall college sports, including football. 

Trump immediately latched on to the wedge issue, which could play big in football-adoring red states crucial to his base.     

Trump tweeted “Play college football!” on Monday, and later promoted the #WeWantToPlay hashtag, the rallying cry for high-profile NCAA players who want the season to proceed.

Several schools have already canceled their football season, including the University of Connecticut, and Covid-19 outbreaks among football players have been reported at multiple schools, including Rutgers and Northwestern.