Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president in nearly half a century to attend a regular-season NFL game, appearing at the Washington Commanders&rsquo; 44&ndash;22 loss to the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Trump&rsquo;s appearance drew a mix of reactions from spectators, with loud boos echoing through the stands when he was shown on the videoboard late in the first half while standing in a suite with House Speaker Mike Johnson. 
The jeering continued when he was introduced by the stadium announcer at halftime and during an enlistment ceremony where he led members of the military in an oath.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a little bit late,&rdquo; Trump told reporters after landing at Joint Base Andrews, following a flyover of Northwest Stadium during the game. 
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re gonna have a good game. Things are going along very well. The country&rsquo;s doing well. The Democrats have to open it up,&rdquo; he added, referring to the ongoing government shutdown.
Before Trump&rsquo;s arrival, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown celebrated a touchdown by imitating the &ldquo;Trump dance,&rdquo; a move several athletes popularized last year. 
&ldquo;I heard Trump was going to be at the game,&rdquo; St. Brown said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how many times the president&rsquo;s going to be at the game, so just decided to have some fun.&rdquo;
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was too focused on the game to notice Trump&rsquo;s arrival. 
&ldquo;But that&rsquo;s cool. &hellip; You&rsquo;re talking about the president of the United States. That&rsquo;s a big deal,&rdquo; he said. 
Quarterback Jared Goff added, &ldquo;Awesome that he was here,&rdquo; after seeing Trump&rsquo;s plane fly over the stadium.
During the third quarter, Trump joined Fox broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma for an eight-minute chat, recalling his high school football days. 
&ldquo;I played tight end, but it was not quite football like this. It was a little bit easier. It wasn&rsquo;t so tough,&rdquo; Trump said.
Trump left before the game concluded. 
According to the NFL, only two other presidents have attended a regular-season game while in office, Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.&nbsp;
Trump also made history earlier by becoming the first president to attend a Super Bowl while in office, watching the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40&ndash;22 in February.
ESPN reported that a White House intermediary informed the Commanders&rsquo; ownership that Trump wants the team&rsquo;s new stadium, a nearly $4 billion project on the former RFK Stadium site, to bear his name. 
During the broadcast, Trump confirmed his involvement in the project, saying, &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to build a beautiful stadium. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m involved in, we&rsquo;re getting all the approvals and everything else. And you have a wonderful owner, Josh (Harris) and his group. And you&rsquo;re going to see some very good things.&rdquo;
Sunday&rsquo;s appearance marked the latest in a series of Trump&rsquo;s visits to major sporting events, including the Ryder Cup, Daytona 500, and U.S. Open. 
&ldquo;I just love it. It&rsquo;s a microcosm of life,&rdquo; Trump said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s sort of like life, the good, the bad and the ugly.&rdquo;
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana were among those accompanying Trump at the game.
Trump&rsquo;s attendance comes years after friction between him and the NFL during his first term, when he opposed players kneeling during the national anthem. 
He had then urged team owners to fire any player who refused to stand.

Trump watches NFL game amid mixed crowd reactions

Trump becomes first sitting US President to attend NFL game since 1978, faces jeers

Trump Attends NFL Game, Faces Crowd Boos

Trump becomes first sitting US President to attend NFL game since 1978, faces jeers

November 11, 2025 | 16:53 IST