President Donald Trump is pushing to have the Washington Commanders’ planned $3.7 billion domed stadium bear his name, according to individuals familiar with early discussions. The outreach, conducted quietly through White House intermediaries, targets a member of the Commanders’ ownership group led by Josh Harris. The new facility is slated for the former RFK Stadium site.
“That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email Friday evening, according to ESPN. She did not answer follow-up questions. A senior administration official was more direct: “It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen.”
The Commanders offered no comment. But a team insider said staff have been preparing for Trump’s attendance at Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, where he will join Harris and participate in military tributes on the field. Stadium issues could arise informally, the insider said, though “no official talks have taken place.”
While the Commanders technically control naming rights—typically reserved for corporate deals—a person involved in planning said a personal tribute could occur outside a sponsorship agreement. Even then, the team cannot act alone. Because the stadium sits on federal land, both the D.C. Council and the National Park Service would have a say. The goal is a 2030 opening.
“The team doesn’t have the authority. They can’t name the stadium … on their own,” the person said. “The city would be involved … and the Park Service would be involved.”
Momentum for the project surged in April when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Harris announced the district site. In July, Trump threatened to stall the project unless the team restored its former “Redskins” name, dropped in 2020. Some fans still favor reviving it.
On September 17, the D.C. Council advanced the deal 11–2. The Commanders will put up $2.7 billion—including overruns—for a 65,000-seat venue across 174 acres. The city will contribute $1 billion and then lease the stadium back to the team. The broader development includes housing, retail, and athletic facilities—what Bowser called the city’s most significant economic project ever.
The team currently plays in Landover, Maryland, far from the RFK site that holds deep sentimental value for fans and the ownership group.
Most NFL stadiums bear corporate names worth hundreds of millions. A handful, like Lambeau Field and Soldier Field, reject sponsorships altogether. Trump, who has branded numerous private properties, has pursued similar public recognition this term, including a push to rename the Kennedy Center.
People close to the process emphasized that Trump wants a Lambeau-style honor—recognition for enabling approvals—not a purchased naming deal.
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