President Donald Trump is reportedly seeking to have the newly planned Washington Commanders stadium named in his honor — and conversations about the idea have already begun behind the scenes, according to ESPN.
A senior White House source told the outlet that informal discussions have taken place between the administration and a member of the team’s ownership group.
“It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” the source said.
The forthcoming $3.7 billion stadium — approved in September and expected to open by 2030 — will be built on the site of the former RFK Stadium along the Anacostia River. That location served as the franchise’s home from 1961 to 1996.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ESPN via email that honoring Trump in the stadium’s name “would be a beautiful” recognition of his role in advancing the redevelopment effort.
Representatives for both the White House and the team did not immediately respond to Fortune’s requests for comment.
Another team-linked source noted there have been no formal talks with Trump on the matter yet. However, discussions could ramp up soon, as the president is expected to attend the Commanders’ home game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Billionaire Josh Harris, the lead owner of the Commanders, is reportedly hosting Trump as his guest, and the president is set to take part in halftime activities honoring military veterans.
Still, getting Trump’s name on the venue might not be solely the team’s call. A source with direct knowledge of the process told ESPN that the District of Columbia Council would likely have the deciding voice in whether the stadium is named after an individual.
While the Commanders hold the naming rights — typically viewed as a major revenue opportunity with corporate sponsors — the D.C. Council is leasing the stadium to the franchise and the National Park Service. The federal agency manages the 180-acre property where the 65,000-seat stadium will rise.
“The team doesn’t have the authority. They can’t name the stadium … on their own,” the source said. “The city would be involved in that decision, and the Park Service would be involved.”
Despite the massive value of naming rights in the NFL, Trump reportedly isn’t interested in buying the name or having a corporate partner purchase it for him. Instead, he believes he has leverage connected to environmental and federal approvals, the source claimed.
“He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult through government environmental approvals and other things … Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way,” the source said.
The D.C. Council and the National Park Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This isn’t the first time Trump has tried to influence the franchise. After NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Harris jointly announced in April that the new stadium would be located in Washington, Trump raised objections over the team’s current name.
In July, he threatened to block the stadium’s construction unless the franchise reverted from the Commanders back to the Redskins — the name it held until 2020, when it was dropped following criticism from Native American groups and advocates. The team temporarily operated as the Washington Football Team before adopting Commanders in 2022, a name the organization says it intends to keep.
