Former President Barack Obama is in Cameron Indoor Stadium for this year's Duke-North Carolina game.
After much speculation leading up to the game, Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, was in attendance for Wednesday night’s colossal matchup between arch-rivals No. 1 Duke and No. 8 North Carolina. He was seen in the stadium at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Reports had circulated earlier in the week that Obama was expected to be in attendance, but Duke did not officially announce his appearance, nor could The Chronicle independently confirm it.
Obama has scrimmaged with the Tar Heels in the past and picked them to win the NCAA championship in 2012, but also met Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his 2010 and 2015 national championship teams at the White House. Krzyzewski has sometimes clashed with Obama's politics, such as when he criticized the president's policy on fighting the Islamic State in 2014.
Former President George H.W. Bush also attended a basketball game in Cameron Indoor Stadium after his presidency ended. President Donald Trump also attended the Duke-North Carolina game in 2004, sitting under the basket and appearing for an interview on ESPN.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.