Overview
- ESPN reported back‑channel outreach from the White House to Commanders ownership conveying President Trump's preference to name the planned $3.7 billion RFK‑site stadium after him.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the idea “a beautiful name” and credited Trump with making the project possible, while declining detailed comment.
- A senior White House source told ESPN, “It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen,” though no binding agreement has been announced.
- The team controls commercial naming rights, but any commemorative name for an individual would involve approval by the D.C. Council and the National Park Service, according to sources familiar with the process.
- Trump is expected to attend Sunday’s Commanders‑Lions game as a guest of owner Josh Harris during Salute to Service festivities, as the club anticipates possible but informal conversations about the stadium name; the 65,000‑seat dome is targeted for 2030 with roughly $2.7 billion from ownership and about $1 billion from the District, following Trump’s July threat over the team’s name.