LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Donald Trump became the first sitting president in nearly half a century to attend an NFL regular-season game, attending the Washington Commanders’ 44-22 loss to the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday.
There were noisy boos from some spectators in the stands when Trump appeared on the video board near the end of the first half – standing in a suite with House Speaker Mike Johnson – and again when the president was introduced by the stadium announcer at halftime.
The taunts continued as Trump read an oath for military personnel to recite as part of an on-field enlistment ceremony during halftime in the game.
“I’m a little late,” Trump told reporters earlier as he exited Air Force One after landing at Joint Base Andrews after flying over Northwest Stadium during the game. He then got into his armored car and drove to the arena.
“We’re going to have a good game. Things are going very well. The country is doing well. Democrats have to open it up,” he said – a reference to the government shutdown.
On Sunday in the first quarter, before the president arrived, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown celebrated a touchdown catch by pointing toward the stands and moving his arms in the style of 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 will be at the game, so I decided to have some fun.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was too caught up in the game itself to notice that Trump had arrived: “But that’s cool. … They’re talking about the president of the United States. That’s a big deal.”
His team’s quarterback, Jared Goff, was mesmerized when he saw Trump’s plane flying so low over the stadium.
“It’s great that he was here,” Goff said.
In the third quarter, Trump chatted lightheartedly with Fox broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma for about eight minutes. Albert first asked Trump about his time as a high school football player at the New York Military Academy.
“I played tight end, but it wasn’t quite football like this. It was a little easier. It wasn’t that hard,” Trump said.
Trump left before the game was over on Sunday.
According to the league, only two other times have a president attended an NFL game during the regular season: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978. Trump became the first president to attend a Super Bowl when he resided in the White House to watch the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February.
According to a report from ESPN on Saturday, a White House intermediary has told the Commanders’ ownership group that Trump wants the club’s fresh stadium – part of a nearly $4 billion project in the nation’s capital on the site of so-called RFK Stadium – to bear his name.
During the TV appearance on Sunday, Trump spoke about the team’s plans to return to Washington.
“They’re going to build a beautiful stadium. I’m involved in that, we’re getting all the permits and everything else,” he said. “And you have a wonderful owner, Josh (Harris) and his group. And you’re going to see some very good things.”
Sunday’s visit was the latest in a string of high-profile appearances by Trump at sporting events, including the Ryder Cup in golf, the Daytona 500 in auto racing and the US Open in tennis.
“I just love it. It’s a microcosm of life,” Trump said of the sport on Sunday’s show. “It’s a bit like life – the good, the bad and the ugly.”
Before the game, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth chatted with Harris – the leader of the group that bought the Commanders from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for about $6 billion – and took part in an on-field ceremony with service members.
Hegseth was among those watching the game with Trump, along with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana.
Tensions arose between Trump and the NFL during his first term as president when he opposed players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social or racial injustice. This movement began in 2016 with then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Through social media and other public comments, Trump insisted that players stand for the national anthem and called on team owners to fire anyone who took a knee.
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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price and AP Sports Writer Ben Nuckols contributed to this report.
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