Trump wants NFL team Washington Commanders’ $3.7B stadium named after him: Report
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is pushing for the NFL team Washington Commanders’ new $3.7 billion stadium to be named in his honor, according to reports.
ESPN reported, quoting multiple sources, that the move has prompted behind-the-scenes discussions between the White House and team officials.
According to the report published on Saturday, November 8, senior administration officials told the network that Trump personally wants his name attached to the new domed stadium planned for the historic RFK Stadium site in Washington, DC.
It was once the Commanders’ home from 1961 to 1996.
Karoline Leavitt calls it a ‘beautiful name’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible.”
Leavitt declined further comment, but a senior White House source was more direct and said, “It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen.”
According to sources familiar with the talks, back-channel communications have reportedly taken place between White House officials and a member of the Commanders’ ownership group, led by billionaire Josh Harris.
Trump, who is scheduled to attend Sunday’s Commanders home game against the Detroit Lions as Harris’ guest, is expected to use the occasion to discuss the stadium and attend halftime festivities honoring the military.
District of Columbia Council and National Park Service will have final say
While the team has allegedly not formally discussed naming the new stadium after Trump, insiders say that they are preparing for those conversations to happen soon.
“The team doesn’t have the authority. They can’t name the stadium on their own,” one source told ESPN. “The city and the National Park Service would be involved.”
The District of Columbia Council and the National Park Service, which oversees the federal land on which the RFK site sits, will reportedly have the final say.
Despite that, one senior political insider suggested that Trump could use his influence over federal approvals to get his way.
“He has plenty of leverage,” the source said. “He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it.”
Commanders’ stadium is one of the largest development projects
The new 65,000-seat domed stadium, slated to open in 2030, marks the Commanders’ long-awaited return to Washington after nearly three decades at their current home in Landover, Maryland.
In September, the DC Council voted 11–2 to approve the project, calling it “the largest economic development project in DC history.”
The Commanders will reportedly invest $2.7 billion, with the district contributing $1 billion and leasing the land to the team.
The new complex will feature housing developments, retail shops, and a sports district, revitalizing the 174-acre site just two miles from the US Capitol.
