Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president in almost half a century to attend a regular-season NFL game on Sunday, as he showed up to watch the Washington Commanders play the Detroit Lions in Landover, Md.
He was greeted by a wave of boos and some cheers from onlookers as he appeared on the jumbotron late in the first half alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump was shown on screen again at halftime while the stadium announcer introduced him.
A combination of jeering and applause continued while Trump read an oath for members of the military to recite as part of an on-field enlistment ceremony during the break in the game.
“I’m a little bit late,” Trump told reporters earlier when he got off Air Force One after landing at Joint Base Andrews, following a flyover of Northwest Stadium during the game. He then got in his armoured car for the drive to the arena.
“We’re gonna have a good game. Things are going along very well. The country’s doing well. The Democrats have to open it up,” he said, referring to the government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was too focused on the game to notice that the president had arrived, “But that’s cool. … You’re talking about the president of the United States. That’s a big deal,” he told The Associated Press.
During a first-quarter interview, Trump told Fox News reporters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma about his time playing high school football at the New York Military Academy.
“I played tight end, but it was not quite football like this. It was a little bit easier. It wasn’t so tough,” the president said.
Trump didn’t stay for the entire game, which saw the Washington Commanders lose 22-44 to the visiting Detroit Lions.
According to official team records, there have been only two other occasions when a sitting president has attended a regular-season NFL game.
The last time was 46 years ago when Jimmy Carter attended a Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) game at RFK Stadium on Oct. 2, 1978.
On Nov. 16, 1969, Richard Nixon became the first sitting president to attend a regular-season football game with the Washington Redskins facing the Dallas Cowboys at RFK Stadium.
Trump became the first president to attend a Super Bowl while residing in the White House when he watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February.
The Washington Commanders are set to move into a new stadium in 2030, and according to a report by ESPN, Trump wants the $4-billion project to be named after him.
The team’s new home is being built on the site of the old RFK Stadium, where the Commanders played from 1961 to 1996.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
