In a rare presidential sports appearance, U.S. President Donald Trump attended the Washington Commanders’ 44-22 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday — becoming the first sitting president to watch a regular-season NFL game in nearly five decades.
As the stadium videoboard showed Trump standing in a suite alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, loud boos erupted across the crowd, followed by more jeering when the announcer formally introduced him at halftime.
The president participated in an on-field military enlistment ceremony, reading an oath to new recruits amid a mix of cheers and boos from the stands.
According to the NFL, only two presidents before Trump have attended regular-season games while in office — Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.
Earlier this year, Trump also became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl, when he watched the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in February.
Arriving slightly late after flying over Northwest Stadium aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters:
“We’re gonna have a good game. Things are going along very well. The country’s doing well. The Democrats have to open it up,”
—a reference to the ongoing government shutdown.
During the third quarter, Trump joined the Fox Sports broadcast booth for a lighthearted eight-minute conversation with Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma. Asked about his high school football days at the New York Military Academy, Trump said:
“I played tight end, but it wasn’t quite like this — it was a little bit easier.”
Before Trump’s arrival, Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown celebrated a touchdown by mimicking the viral “Trump dance” gesture.
“I heard Trump was going to be at the game,” St. Brown said. “You don’t know how often the president shows up — I thought it’d be fun.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell admitted he didn’t notice the president’s presence, saying,
“That’s cool — you’re talking about the president of the United States. That’s a big deal.”
Quarterback Jared Goff added that he was impressed by the presidential plane flying low over the stadium, calling it “awesome.”
