President Trump reportedly wants the Washington Commanders to name their planned stadium in the District after him, according to reports.
An anonymous senior White House source 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.
“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 told ESPN via email Friday.
The stadium, which will be domed, 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 gave D.C. control over the land at the site for 99 years.
The D.C. Council and the Commanders inked a $3.7 billion deal in August to get the stadium built. The team plans to break ground in 2026 and aims to see it open by 2030.
A separate source with knowledge of the naming process told ESPN that “the team doesn’t have the authority” to name the stadium after Mr. Trump, adding that “the city would be involved in that decision, and the Park Service would be involved.”
Mr. Trump, who is attending Sunday’s Commanders home game versus the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, previously threatened to torpedo construction of the new stadium if the team didn’t bring back its Redskins moniker.
Mr. Trump also announced from the Oval Office in May, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Commanders’ primary owner Josh Harris present, that the 2027 NFL Draft will be held on Washington’s National Mall.
