The D.C. Council and the National Parks Service would have to sign off on the stadium’s name before it could bear the president’s moniker
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President Donald Trump wants his name on yet another giant building - now he has set his sights on the NFL’s Washington Commanders' new $3.7 billion stadium, according to an ESPN report.
The outlet, citing unnamed sources with information on the situation, reported Saturday that a senior White House official has been in contact with the Commanders' owners group to pitch the naming idea.
“It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” the source reportedly said.
When ESPN asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for comment, she did not confirm the rumor, but said Trump's moniker would provide a "beautiful name" for the stadium.
“That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” she said.
President Donald Trump speaking alongside, from the left, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to announce a new stadium.open image in gallery
President Donald Trump speaking alongside, from the left, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to announce a new stadium. (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Trump reportedly wants the Commanders’ home to be named after him.open image in gallery
Trump reportedly wants the Commanders’ home to be named after him. (Getty Images)
The source reportedly told ESPN that the Commanders are not the only entities that have a say in how the stadium is named. The District of Columbia Council, which is leasing the stadium to the Commanders, as well as the National Park Service — which manages the land at the old RFK Stadium site — will have to approve the name as well.
The stadium is scheduled to open in 2030.
In keeping with his frequent trips to sporting events, Trump is planning to attend the Commanders game against the Detroit Lions Sunday. ESPN's source claims Trump will talk to the Commanders' owners about the stadium during his time at the game.
The new stadium will be built on the site of the now-defunct RFK Stadium in southeast Washington, D.C., near the Anacostia River.
The D.C. Council approved the plans for the new stadium in November. Trump also hosted NFL officials and district leaders in the White House to announce the 2027 NFL draft would be held in the nation’s capital.
RFK stadium was once home to Washington’s NFL team, and soon a new stadium will be built at the site.open image in gallery
RFK stadium was once home to Washington’s NFL team, and soon a new stadium will be built at the site. (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
This isn't Trump's first request related to the Commanders' stadium, In July he threatened to delay the stadium deal unless the Commanders agreed to return to their original "Redskins" name.
“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should immediately change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “There is a big clamoring for this.”
Trump has long treated his name as a brand, and that habit hasn't changed since his return to the Oval Office. Next year, a Trump administration drug retail website will be dubbed "TrumpRX," though he denied having anything to do with selecting the game.
He has pitched a "Trump Gold Card," which effectively lets rich foreigners buy their way into a U.S. citizen ship, and plans are reportedly in place to create a $1 "Trump" coin, bearing the president's face, according to a CNN report.
In March, Trump announced a deal with Boeing to develop a new fighter jet that, while not bearing his name, will use a designation that includes a number he likes. The jet is slated to be called the "F-47," as Trump is the 47th President of the U.S.