Pete Hegseth’s office tried to block U.S. military personnel from taking part in the NFL’s first-ever game in France as Donald Trump blames French leadership for ongoing protests there.
The move prompted State Department officials to intervene, The Washington Post reports. Ultimately, the Defense Department agreed to send some service members to play a ceremonial role in the New Orleans Saints-Pittsburgh Steelers game at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.
The match-up is part of a string of international events this season, and U.S. military participation is seen as an important diplomatic gesture.
State Department officials pushed back against Hegseth’s bid to nix military involvement, stressing that military personnel were not at high risk from protests in the country.
France is currently under a Level 2 travel advisory. American travelers are warned to exercise increased caution due to the unrest.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Officials told the Post that the behind-the-scenes scuffle pushed Hegseth’s office to restore parts of the initial plan, including a color guard.
“The Department is supporting the NFL game in Paris this weekend amid the ongoing riots and unrest,” a Defense Department official said in a statement to the Daily Beast. “As President Trump has said, France is really in trouble.”
“This decision was made by the Secretary’s core leadership team, not one person alone,” they added.
On Saturday, the NFL closed its “NFL House” and canceled events in Paris due to the protests. The league also shuttered its pop-up shop.
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that the NFL “could’ve probably postponed that match.”
“It’s looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it. I would’ve said the NFL could’ve probably postponed that match... France is really in trouble,” he said.
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this week, Trump also said France was being “conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity” and “the Western civilization itself.”
French President Emmanuel Macron later criticized “stupid comments” from foreign leaders, saying “all those speaking ill of our country right now are people who don’t love our country. And those people irritate me.”
