Donald Trump is pressing NFL leaders in Washington to name their planned $3.7 billion stadium after him, an offer he is seeking through back-channel talks with ownership and by relying on government agencies that must approve the project, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
A senior White House official said Trump conveyed his wishes directly to a member of Josh Harris’ ownership group. “This is what the president wants, and it will likely happen,” the official added. He told ESPN. “That would be a nice name, because it was President Trump who made rebuilding the new stadium possible,” White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt added in an email.
The leaders declined to comment, but team officials say they have spent several days preparing for Trump’s visit for Sunday’s home game against the Detroit Lions, where informal talks about the stadium are expected. No official talks took place.
Trump’s move comes as the team prepares to return to the site of RFK Stadium, which served as Washington’s home from 1961 until 1996. The new 65,000-seat domed stadium, part of one of the giant mixed-use developments that have become popular in American sports, is scheduled to open in 2030.
Although the leaders have the rights to sell commercial stadium sponsorship, they cannot unilaterally decide to name the stadium after an individual. The land is controlled by the National Park Service, and the District of Columbia Council will lease the stadium to the team under legislation it approved in September.
A source familiar with the process said, “The team does not have the authority. They cannot name the stadium themselves.” “The city will be involved, the Park Service will be involved.”
These layers of approval give Trump significant leverage. As chief, he oversees the federal agencies responsible for environmental and land-use approvals at the RFK site — bottlenecks that he could slow or prevent if he chose. “He has cards to play,” one source said. “It could make it very difficult to build this stadium unless people buy into it about the name.”
Sources say Trump is not seeking to buy the naming rights or get a private donor to do so. He wants the stadium to bear his name in his honor, similar to Soldier Field in Chicago or Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The broader RFK project is the largest economic development effort in Washington history. Leaders will invest US$2.7 billion, plus cost overruns, while the region will contribute US$1 billion. The redevelopment will include housing, retail and a sports complex on 174 acres.
Trump has repeatedly waded into leaders’ politics. In July, he threatened to close the stadium unless the team regained its previous nickname, the Redskins, which was dropped in 2020. Harris’ group has shown no interest in reconsidering the name, though some fans continue to push for it.
Trump is scheduled to attend Sunday’s game as Harris’ guest and is expected to participate in the military appreciation ceremony at halftime.