Donald TrumpandMelania Trumpwere spotted chatting with actorVince Vaughnduring Monday night’s college football national championship game as the Senate prepares for the president’s upcoming impeachment trial back in Washington, D.C.
The president looked at ease as he and the actor watched Louisiana State University Tigers beat the Clemson University Tigers 42-25.
Trump seemed engrossed in conversation with Vaughn, who was seated on the other side of Mrs. Trump. The first lady, meanwhile, appeared to largely keep quiet.
TheBreakupstar, 49, was seen smiling as Trump, 73, happily shook his hand following their catch-up session, which wascaptured in a videoshared on Twitter.
A rep for the actor tells PEOPLE, Vaughn and Trump did not attend the championship together but rather “met this evening at the game briefly.”
Despite their friendly chat, Vaughn backedRand Paulin the 2016 election rather than his seatmate.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images (2)
Before making their way to their suite to watch the game, Trump, who may have been partial to Clemson (who he hosted for a viral fast-food feast after last year’s championship win), wasmet with chantsof “U-S-A!” as he walked the field at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana alongside his wife.
Trump acknowledged the cheers as he turned towards the stands and applauded the praise.
The president and first lady then listened to Lousiana native Lauren Daigle perform the National Anthem.
While he was received a warm welcome in New Orleans, Trump was met withdifferent treatment ahead of LSU’s gameagainst the University of Alabama in November.
That same month on Nov. 2, Trumpdrew loud booswhen he arrived at the Ultimate Fighting Championship in New York City. Videosshared to Twitterrevealed a large number of boos directed at Trump when he entered Madison Square Garden for the event. (According to reports, there were also cheers and claps — though the boos sounded louder.)
Melania Trump and Donald Trump at the national championship game.Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Just days prior, Trump was also booed at the final game of the World Series when a pro-Trump campaign ad played and someNationals fans booed the presidentandchanted “lock him up”— a twist on a common chant during his rallies, usually referring to former Secretary of State and Trump 2016 challenger Hillary Clinton.
But back in D.C. House SpeakerNancy Pelosisaidshe’s planningto deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week, kicking off the next round in President Trump’s impeachment fight.
Trump was impeached on Dec. 18 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his role in the Ukraine scandal. Investigators found that Trump had withheld about $400 million in military aid from Ukraine while pressuring Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to dig into former Vice President Joe Biden and Biden’s family as well as a probe a conspiracy theory about the 2016 election.
The White House refused to cooperate with the investigation, sending no top Trump Administration officials to testify during the hearings. Awhistleblower complaint, which prompted the investigation late last summer, also noted that the White House tried to hide the full transcript of the call, moving it between computer systems to make it harder to find.
Trump has continued to deny any wrongdoing and is expected to be quickly acquitted of the charges in the Senate. Republican lawmakers, who are partial to Trump, hold a majority of the seats in the Senate.
No president has ever been removed from office over impeachment. President Andrew Johnson and President Bill Clinton were both impeached but later acquitted. President Richard Nixon faced the threat of removal but resigned from office before he could either be impeached or tried in the Senate for his part in the Watergate Scandal.
source: people.com
