President Trump is reportedly pressuring the Washington Commanders to name their planned $3.7 billon stadium in his honor.
ESPN, citing coverage from “multiple sources with knowledge of the situation,” reports there has been “back-channel communications” between the White House and the owners of the Commanders to put Trump’s name on the new stadium, which is being built at the site of the old RFK Stadium with a scheduled 2030 opening date.
While the Commanders own the new stadium’s corporate naming rights, the decision to commemorate anyone’s name on the new facility does not belong to the team.
“The team doesn’t have the authority,” said an unnamed source to ESPN. “They can’t name the stadium … on their own. The city would be involved in that decision, and the Park Service would be involved.”
Trump is reportedly not interested in buying the naming rights or having a corporation buy it for him. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ESPN that it would appropriate if Trump’s name was on the stadium.
“That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” Leavitt said.
Photo courtesy of the White House
