TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — President Donald Trump wanted to be at Alabama.
Now, even Trump is saying a hurricane may have something to say about it.
Trump’s plans to attend Saturday night’s Georgia-Alabama showdown are suddenly up in the air as Tropical Storm Isaias threatens the Gulf Coast and potentially central Alabama.
Asked Wednesday whether the storm could change his plans, Trump did not exactly provide a firm commitment.
“I’m going to let the hurricane determine,” Trump told reporters. “I want people to be safe.”
That’s about as close to waffling as it gets without officially pulling the plug.
Trump Wants the Game. The Hurricane Has Other Ideas.
Trump has made clear that he wants to attend the game.
He has also made clear that he does not want his presence to interfere with emergency operations if Alabama is dealing with a serious weather event.
“I don’t want to do anything to take the focus” away from emergency personnel, Trump said.
That puts the president in an unusual position.
One of the biggest college football games of the season is scheduled for Saturday night. Meanwhile, the first potential hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season is bearing down on the Gulf Coast.
Trump now appears willing to let the professionals make the call.
And the Game Itself?
That’s the bigger question.
No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama are still scheduled to play Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium. However, the SEC and Alabama continue to monitor the storm, and the final status of the contest remains undetermined.
Alabama said Tuesday that there were no current plans to alter the game.
That was Tuesday.
Weather forecasts have continued to evolve since then, with Alabama Emergency Management warning of potentially significant rain, flooding and damaging winds across the state.
Alabama meteorologist Jim Stefkovich said Isaias could reach Category 2 strength over the Gulf before weakening somewhat near landfall. His agency expects landfall somewhere between west of Biloxi, Mississippi, and Panama City, Florida.
That matters in Tuscaloosa.
The city sits well inland, but the storm’s impacts could extend far beyond its center.
Saturday Night Just Got Complicated
Georgia coach Kirby Smart is trying to keep his attention on football.
“I’m focused on trying to prepare our team and game plan and scheme,” Smart said Wednesday.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has taken a similar approach.
The Crimson Tide has incorporated wet-ball work into its preparation while waiting for more clarity from officials.
Neither coach can control what happens outside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Neither can Trump.
And neither can the SEC.
For now, Georgia-Alabama remains scheduled for Saturday night. Trump’s attendance remains undecided. The weather remains the biggest variable.
The only thing that appears certain is that nobody knows exactly what Saturday will look like yet.
And apparently, that includes the president.
