Donald Trump made history Sunday as the first sitting U.S. president in nearly 50 years to attend a regular-season NFL game, watching the Washington Commanders fall 44-22 to the visiting Detroit Lions.
The crowd’s reaction was mixed. Loud boos erupted when Trump appeared on the stadium’s video board late in the first half, standing in a suite alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, and again when the announcer formally introduced him at halftime.
The jeers swelled once more as Trump led an on-field enlistment ceremony, reading an oath for new members of the U.S. military amid a backdrop of cheers, boos and flashing cameras.
"I’m a little bit late,” Trump told reporters earlier as he got off Air Force One after landing at Joint Base Andrews, following a flyover of Northwest Stadium during the game. He then got into his armored car for the drive to the venue.
"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.
In the first quarter Sunday, before the president arrived, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown celebrated a touchdown catch by pointing into the stands and mimicking the "Trump dance” that several athletes began doing last year.
"I heard Trump was going to be at the game,” St. Brown said afterward. "I don’t know how many times the president’s going to be at a game, so I just decided to have some fun.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was too focused on the game to notice Trump’s arrival. "But that’s cool,” he said. "You’re talking about the president of the United States. That’s a big deal.”
Quarterback Jared Goff said he was impressed seeing Trump’s plane fly low over the stadium. "Awesome that he was here,” Goff said.
During the third quarter, Trump joined Fox broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma for about eight minutes of lighthearted conversation. Albert opened by asking about his time playing high school football at 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,” Trump said.
Trump left before Sunday’s game ended.
Only twice before has a sitting president attended a regular-season NFL game, according to the league: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978. Trump also became the first president to attend a Super Bowl while in office when he watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February.
According to an ESPN report on Saturday, a White House intermediary told the Commanders’ ownership group that Trump wants the club’s new stadium – part of a nearly $4 billion project in the nation’s capital on the site of the former RFK Stadium – to bear his name.
In Sunday’s TV appearance, Trump discussed the team’s plans to return to Washington.
"They’re going to build a beautiful stadium. That’s what I’m involved in – we’re getting all the approvals and everything else,” he said. "And you have a wonderful owner, Josh (Harris), and his group. You’re going to see some very good things.”
Sunday’s visit was the latest in a string of high-profile sporting appearances by Trump, including the Ryder Cup, the Daytona 500 and the U.S. Open.
"I just love it. It’s a microcosm of life,” Trump said during Sunday’s broadcast. "It’s sort of like life – the good, the bad and the ugly.”
Before the game, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth chatted with Harris – who led the group that purchased the Commanders from Daniel Snyder for about $6 billion in 2023 – and took part in an on-field ceremony with members of the military.
Hegseth watched the game with Trump, along with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana.
There was tension between Trump and the NFL during his first term, when he objected to players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social and racial injustice. That movement began in 2016 with then–San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Through social media and public remarks, Trump insisted players should stand for the national anthem and called on team owners to fire anyone taking a knee.