The Washington Commanders are building a new domed stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. According to ESPN, President Donald Trump reportedly wants the stadium to be named after him.
An unnamed White House source stated that the Commanders’ ownership group has been informed of Trump’s desire for the new stadium to bear his name. The team, valued at $7.6 billion according to Forbes, will have a $2.7 billion investment from the ownership group led by Josh Harris. Their move was approved by the D.C. Council in September.
The ownership group holds the right to name the stadium and could potentially seek a corporate sponsor to generate funds by selling naming rights. However, the name must be approved by the D.C. City Council, which could present a challenge if Trump tries to influence their decision.
“He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it,” a source told ESPN. “Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way.”
Earlier in July, Trump warned Josh Harris that he would block the move to the new stadium unless the team changed its name back to the Washington Redskins, their former name. The team dropped the Redskins name in 2020 under former owner Dan Snyder.
While naming the stadium after Trump could lead to substantial financial loss for the Commanders, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed support for the idea. “That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” Leavitt told ESPN.
The Commanders are hosting the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and Donald Trump will attend the game as Harris’ guest.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/news-donald-trump-makes-major-demand-7-600-000-000-nfc-team-massive-franchise-altering-decision-report