President Donald Trump showed his patriotism by singing (kind of) to the national anthem at the CFP National Championship game Monday night—but it looks like he didn't stick around to see acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar's halftime show.
Lamar, a seven-time Grammy Award winner, was the inaugural halftime show headliner during ESPN's coverage of the Georgia-Alabama game Monday night. But the president reportedly left Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium before he performed at the nearby Centennial Olympic Park, according to tweets from reporters covering the event. (Lamar's performance was beamed onto the big screens in the stadium.)
President Trump has left the national championship game, per the pool.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 9, 2018
President Trump has just departed Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz stadium. He left before Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance.
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) January 9, 2018
Social media users had hoped to witness the unlikely sight of Trump sitting through a Kendrick Lamar set and anticipated that the commander-in-chief might have a meme-worthy reaction to the "Humble" rapper, akin to his dismayed reaction to Daft Punk last year. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Trump listening to Kendrick at halftime pic.twitter.com/qwmYhnFfYx
— Henry (@seminole4life22) January 8, 2018
Donald Trump watching Kendrick Lamar perform pic.twitter.com/DZeKKD7pQZ
— Anthony Kintzer (@KintzMcGee) January 9, 2018
Kendrick Lamar will be performing for the halftime show at the #NationalChampionship game. I have a feeling that at least part of his performance will be aimed at Trump, who is in attendance.
— Conor McCormick-Cavanagh (@ConorMichael28) January 9, 2018
Trump's music taste ranges from the more traditional Tony Bennett and Elton John to the pop stylings of Taylor Swift. Lamar, with his socially and politically-conscious rap, probably doesn't fall into the president's wheelhouse—musically or thematically.
Lamar, 30, has previously dissed Trump in his music and, perhaps even more infuriating for Trump, praised his predecessor President Barack Obama.
On "The Heart Part 4," which Lamar released in March 2017, he raps: "Donald Trump is a chump / Know how we feel, punk / Tell 'em that God comin' / And Russia need a replay button / Y'all up to somethin' / Electoral votes look like memorial votes / But America's truth ain't ignorin' the votes."
"Humble," meanwhile, features a shoutout to Obama and in December 2016 said "hip-hop and the world owes President Obama."
The respect is mutual, too. Obama said Lamar's "How Much a Dollar Cost" was his favorite song of 2015 and named him one of his favorite rappers in an interview with SiriusXM in October 2016.
"I think the young guys, Kendrick [Lamar] and Chance [the Rapper] are doing amazing work," said Obama.
He added: "Kendrick, you know, he's blowing it up. He's doing great."
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