Topline
President Donald Trump wants the new Washington Commanders stadium to be named after him, ESPN reported — a decision that would likely have to be made by Washington, D.C. city lawmakers and the National Park Service.
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Key facts
An unnamed senior White House official said there have been off-the-record discussions with a member of the Commanders ownership group, Josh Harris, about naming the new $3.7 billion stadium — set to be completed in 2030 — after Trump, ESPN reportedciting multiple other sources who confirmed the conversations.
“It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” the senior White House source reportedly said, while another source told ESPN that Trump “has a lot of assets to get his way,” adding, “he can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to get everyone who wants this stadium built to sign on and put their name on it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not respond to ESPN’s questions about the stadium, but said, “That would be a nice name since it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible.”
Naming rights for NFL stadiums are typically sold to a corporate sponsor, although the Washington, D.C. Council, which will lease the stadium to the team, and the National Park Service, which manages the federal land where the new stadium will be built, will likely make the final decision, according to ESPN.
What to pay attention to
Trump is expected to attend Sunday’s Commanders game against the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
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