Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump has expressed a desire for the Washington Commanders’ new $3.7 billion stadium to be named in his honor, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Informal discussions have reportedly taken place through back channels with a representative of the Commanders’ ownership group, headed by Josh Harris, to communicate Trump’s wish for the new domed stadium in the nation’s capital to carry his name. The new venue is slated to be constructed on the historic RFK Stadium site, which housed the team from 1961 to 1996.
In an emailed statement to ESPN, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked, “That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible.”
Leavitt did not provide further details, but a high-ranking White House official indicated to ESPN, “It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen.”
A spokesperson for the Commanders declined to comment on Saturday. Nevertheless, a source within the team revealed that the organization has been actively preparing for President Trump’s attendance at their home game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Trump is slated to be a guest of Harris and is anticipated to take part in halftime ceremonies honoring the military.
According to the team source, while there have been no official discussions to date, the Commanders anticipate the topic of the new stadium may be raised during conversations with Trump at the game.
The naming rights for the new stadium belong to the Commanders, and would typically be sold to a corporate sponsor. However, a source knowledgeable about the process stated that commemorating an individual in the stadium’s name would be a distinct consideration.
That authority would likely involve the District of Columbia Council, which is leasing the stadium to the team, and the National Park Service, which oversees the federal land at the former RFK Stadium site where the new facility is scheduled to open in 2030.
“The team doesn’t have the authority. They can’t name the stadium … on their own,” the source clarified. “The city would be involved in that decision, and the Park Service would be involved.”
In an announcement this past April, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Harris confirmed that the new home for the Commanders would be built in Washington.
Previously, in July, Trump stated he would obstruct the stadium’s construction if Harris did not revert the team’s name from the Commanders to its former name, the Redskins, which is considered offensive by some Native American groups. The name was changed in 2020 by former owner Dan Snyder, after which the team was temporarily called the Washington Football Team for two seasons before being renamed the Commanders. Some fans have advocated for the new ownership to restore the original name.
On September 17, the D.C. Council approved the RFK Stadium Project with an 11-2 vote. The Commanders are set to invest $2.7 billion and cover any cost overruns for the 65,000-seat stadium on a 174-acre plot of land just two miles from the U.S. Capitol. The District will contribute $1 billion and lease the stadium to the team. Bowser has called the project, which will also include housing, a sports complex, and retail spaces, “the largest economic development project in D.C. history.”
The team currently plays at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, a venue nine miles from the RFK site that saw the team achieve three Super Bowl victories. For many Washington fans and members of the current ownership, the RFK Stadium site holds significant sentimental value.
It is common practice for NFL teams to sell stadium naming rights to corporate sponsors for substantial sums, a path the Harris ownership group was presumably planning to follow. Some stadiums have a combination of a nickname and a sponsor, such as Empower Field at Mile High in Denver and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. A few, like Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and Chicago’s Soldier Field, do not have corporate names.
Trump has a history of branding his properties, such as golf courses and hotels, with his name. During his second term, there have been efforts by the president and his supporters to name other structures in his honor. For instance, a bill was introduced this summer to rename the Kennedy Center as the Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts.
A source familiar with the stadium deal suggested that if Trump is insistent on the stadium bearing his name, he possesses “plenty of leverage” to influence the outcome, regardless of which governmental body has the final say.
“He has cards to play. 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,” the source explained. “Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way.”
The source with insight into Trump’s wishes clarified that the president is not looking to purchase the naming rights or have a corporate sponsor do so on his behalf. Instead, he desires for the Commanders’ stadium to be named after him as a tribute for his role in its approval, similar to the naming of Lambeau Field.