Trump Stadium? Commanders fans greet president with mix of boos, applause

President Trump withstood a thoroughly mixed greeting from the crowd at Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland, just a day after reports surfaced that the commander-in-chief was hoping to have the District’s new NFL stadium named after him. 

The Republican received a lukewarm reception from fans in the stands amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. The sold-out crowd at Northwest Stadium greeted Mr. Trump with a mix of cheers and boos when he appeared on the video board late in the first half, though the jeers generally outweighed the applause. 

Air Force One, which flew over the stadium during the first quarter, received a similarly uneven reaction.

On the field, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown pointed toward Mr. Trump after scoring a touchdown and mimicked the Republican’s signature dance moves. 

The Commanders welcomed the second-term president as part of the weekend’s “Salute to Service” celebrations in honor of the military. While the NFL honored deceased service members on the field during halftime, fans in the stands directed middle fingers and thumbs down toward the commander-in-chief. 

From the owner’s suite, the president then gave the Oath of Enlistment to dozens of new military members who raised their right hands in the end zone as they pledged their allegiance to the nation. 

“Congratulations,” he told the freshly enlisted individuals. 

But Mr. Trump has his eyes on a more long-term connection to the District’s NFL franchise. An anonymous White House official told ESPN that the Trump team and a member of the Commanders’ ownership group have had “back-channel communications” regarding the president’s wishes for the stadium’s name. 

Several reports indicated that the president and Commanders owner Josh Harris discussed the possibility during Sunday’s game.

“Donald Trump Stadium” would be a divisive choice for the Commanders’ roofed arena, which is set to open in 2030.

“That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement to multiple outlets.

The Commanders declined to comment on the statement. The team has not received any official request to name their stadium after Mr. Trump, according to multiple reports. 

It is unclear what role the president played in the deal to bring the Commanders back to the District.

The stadium is being built on the site of the team’s former home, RFK Stadium, where the Washington Redskins played from 1961 to 1996. Legislation passed in 2024 and signed by then-President Joe Biden gave the city a 99-year lease of the waterfront site.

The D.C. Council and the Commanders finalized a $3.7 billion deal in August to get the stadium built. The team plans to break ground next year. Construction crews are still tearing down the old RFK Stadium, which fell into disrepair after its last tenant — MLS club D.C. United — moved out in 2017. 

However, the Commanders do not have the ability to unilaterally name the stadium in honor of Mr. Trump. The term sheet, signed by city officials and the franchise, specifies that the local government and National Park Service would have input on the name. 

Representatives from the Commanders have previously said they planned to honor Robert Francis Kennedy, the original stadium’s namesake, in some capacity at their new home. The team has also not ruled out a naming rights deal for the rebuilt stadium. 

Mr. Trump has had his eyes on the Commanders and the NFL throughout the first year of his second term. In May, he announced that the 2027 NFL draft would be held on the District’s National Mall in a joint press conference with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Commanders owner Josh Harris. 

“It’s going to be beautiful,” the president said of the 2027 draft at the time. “It’s going to be something that nobody else will ever be able to duplicate, I don’t suspect.”

However, the president also threatened to tank the Commanders’ stadium deal with city officials in July over their name. Mr. Trump demanded the Commanders — and the Cleveland Guardians — revert to their old names. Washington played as the Redskins until 2020, while Cleveland’s MLB club abandoned its “Indians” moniker in 2021. 

“The Washington “Whatever’s” should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this. …” Mr. Trump wrote on social media over the summer. “OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!” 

The Commanders have not announced any plans to change their name and finalized their stadium deal with the District’s council in September.