President Donald Trump is set to attend the NFL clash between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.
The news was initially broken by ESPN host Pat McAfee on Friday afternoon, before Commanders President Mark Clouse swiftly confirmed the news via a statement.
On his ESPN show, McAfee said: ‘Sources are telling me that Donald Trump will be in attendance for this Washington Commanders game against the Detroit Lions.
‘He will be there to celebrate the veteran celebration that is taking place at half-time. He will be sitting in Josh Harris’ [Commanders owner] box’.
Clouse’s statement read: ‘We are honored to welcome President Trump to the game as we celebrate those who have served and continue to serve our country.
‘The entire Commanders organization is proud to participate in the NFL’s league-wide Salute to Service initiative, recognizing the dedication and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans, active-duty service members, and their families this Sunday.’
President Donald Trump is set to attend his first NFL game of the season on Sunday afternoon
Trump will watch on from a box as the Washington Commanders take on the Detroit Lions
ESPN host Pat McAfee broke the news on his show and provided details of his attendance
Trump’s last appearance at an NFL event came at the 2025 Super Bowl, where he strode onto the field with his daughter Ivanka and son Eric.
Since then, he has gone to make multiple public appearances at sporting events this year – including the Club World Cup final, the Ryder Cup, the US Open and a Yankees game that was played on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The first of those outings came in July, when he visited the MetLife Stadium in New York for the game between Chelsea and Paris-Saint Germain, which the former won.
In typical fashion, Trump stole the show as he remained on stage, after handing Chelsea their trophy, and joining in the celebrations with the team.
Shortly after, he returned to the Big Apple to attend the US Open men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. However, due to security issues and delays, many fans were left frustrated with his attendance on the day.
The match was eventually delayed from 2pm to 2:30pm due to increased security measures, which tournament organizers later apologized to fans over.
A few days later Trump attended the Yankees game against the Detroit Tigers to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
His visit was just over 24 hours after Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking to students at an event at Utah Valley University, leading to heightened security for Trump and his entourage when they attended the game at Yankee Stadium.
Trump pictured greeting people as he attended the Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February
The President has made a number of public appearances at sporting events this summer
Finally, in September, Trump retreated to the suburbs of Long Island for the 2025 Ryder Cup, where he was greeted by cries of ‘USA’ and even calls to pick up his own golf clubs to represent the struggling American team.
Ahead of his first NFL visit of the season, Trump recently made headlines after launching a passionate rant about one ‘ridiculous’ rule in the league.
The president, who seemed to be tuned into the game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, admitted he was waiting to watch his 60 Minutes interview but could not help deliver another attack on the ‘ridiculous’ kickoff rules.
He wrote on Truth Social: ‘I HATE WATCHING THE NFL’S NEW KICK OFF RULE.
‘IT’S RIDICULOUS — TAKES THE PAGEANTRY AND GLAMOUR AWAY FROM THE GAME, AND DOES NOTHING FOR SAFETY. THEY SHOULD CHANGE BACK TO WHAT IT USED TO BE.
‘HOPEFULLY COLLEGE FOOTBALL WILL NEVER MAKE THIS RIDICULOUS CHANGE!
‘IN THE MEANTIME, I’M GETTING READY TO WATCH PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP (ME!) ON 60 MINUTES.’
Trump was a guest of Rolex at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Jannik Sinner faced Carlos Alcaraz
Trump’s complaint centers on what the NFL refers to as its ‘dynamic kickoff’ – a new format implemented into the rule book last year to promote more returns while reducing the risk of serious injury.
Previous tweaks to the NFL’s kickoff format in 2011, 2016 and 2018 did reduce dangerous high-speed collisions, but resulted in more touchbacks and fewer kick returns, much to dismay of fans.
There were even calls to scrap kickoffs entirely until the NFL experimented with some changes in 2024 that were made permanent this season with a significant new wrinkle.
Kickers still line up from their own 35-yard line. But, to reduce high-speed collisions, the other 10 players on the kicking team line up from their opponent’s 40-yard line and are prevented from moving until the returning team touches the ball.
