Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's inner circle moved to strip all U.S. military involvement from the NFL's first-ever game in Paris, only to reverse course after State Department officials objected, according to a report published Friday by The Washington Post. The episode points to a behind-the-scenes disagreement between two Cabinet departments over how visible American troops should be at a marquee event abroad.
The Sunday matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at Stade de France, just outside the French capital, had been slated to include dozens of service members, officials who spoke to the Post anonymously said. Hegseth's team then moved to pull them all after a weekend of unrest in Paris that President Donald Trump has publicly criticized. State Department officials argued that placing American troops on display at such a high-profile event carried diplomatic weight. They also told Hegseth's staff that their department had not concluded Americans or U.S. personnel in Paris faced a high risk of danger.
Hegseth's office ultimately agreed to restore part of the military's role, including a color guard. Such ceremonial units, which carry the American and service branch flags, typically involve fewer than 10 people. Pentagon spokespeople would not say who in Hegseth's office sought to cancel the military involvement or why the plans shifted so abruptly.
A senior Defense Department official provided the Post with an unattributed statement that echoed the president. « The Department is supporting the NFL game in Paris this weekend amid the ongoing riots and unrest. As President Trump has said, France is really in trouble, » the statement read. It added that the decision « was made by the Secretary's core leadership team, not one person alone. »
Trump himself suggested Friday that the league should have considered postponing the game. « I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match if you want to know the truth, because France is really in trouble, » he told reporters. « That's what happens when you go left. » The State Department and the NFL declined to comment to the Post.
Protests over school funding and living costs have spread across Paris and other French cities, prompting the State Department to warn Americans attending the game to avoid demonstrations. Trump has blamed the turmoil on immigration and Islam, while French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed his remarks as « stupid. »
The U.S. military has taken part in other NFL games abroad this season, including in London and Melbourne, with games in Madrid and Munich still to come. The Paris dispute highlights how such military participation, which the league and the Pentagon have featured at international games, can become a point of diplomatic judgment when host-country conditions shift quickly.