Focus on the BIG picture.
Sunday, Nov 09, 2025
Outside the box.
Trump Seeks His Name on Washington Commanders’ $3.7 Billion Stadium
President urges the NFL team’s new Washington venue be christened ‘Trump Stadium’, leveraging federal land controls
President Donald Trump has reportedly pressed the Washington Commanders to name their new $3.7 billion stadium after him, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The planned domed venue will rise on the site of the former Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., seat 65,000 fans and open in 2030.
A senior White House official told ESPN that “it’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email: “That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible.”
Though no formal naming agreement has been announced, the team still must secure approvals from the National Park Service and the District of Columbia Council.
Experts note that the land is federally controlled and the city lease is only possible through legislation—giving the president indirect leverage over the project’s fate.
The Commanders currently play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, and the forthcoming redeveloped campus is one of the largest economic development projects in Washington’s history.
The plan covers approximately 174 acres and includes housing, retail, hospitality and the stadium.
While stadium naming rights are typically sold to corporate sponsors, the naming of the new venue after a former president would set a precedent.
Analysts say the issue raises questions over the intersection of public land, private investment and presidential influence.
President Trump is expected to attend the Commanders’ home game on Sunday as a guest of owner Josh Harris, where informal conversations about the stadium’s name may surface.
Though the team declined to comment, insiders suggest the discussion is underway and could shape broader naming negotiations in coming months.
The planned domed venue will rise on the site of the former Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., seat 65,000 fans and open in 2030.
A senior White House official told ESPN that “it’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email: “That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible.”
Though no formal naming agreement has been announced, the team still must secure approvals from the National Park Service and the District of Columbia Council.
Experts note that the land is federally controlled and the city lease is only possible through legislation—giving the president indirect leverage over the project’s fate.
The Commanders currently play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, and the forthcoming redeveloped campus is one of the largest economic development projects in Washington’s history.
The plan covers approximately 174 acres and includes housing, retail, hospitality and the stadium.
While stadium naming rights are typically sold to corporate sponsors, the naming of the new venue after a former president would set a precedent.
Analysts say the issue raises questions over the intersection of public land, private investment and presidential influence.
President Trump is expected to attend the Commanders’ home game on Sunday as a guest of owner Josh Harris, where informal conversations about the stadium’s name may surface.
Though the team declined to comment, insiders suggest the discussion is underway and could shape broader naming negotiations in coming months.
