Washington Commanders Stadium Naming Rights Embroiled in Political Wrangling as Trump Seeks Commemoration
LANDOVER, MD – November 8, 2023 – The future of the Washington Commanders’ new stadium naming rights is facing unexpected complications as former President donald Trump reportedly seeks to have the venue bear his name. While the Commanders institution owns the naming rights, the final decision may rest with the D.C. Council and the National Park Service, adding a layer of political complexity to the $6.1 billion stadium project.
A source with firsthand knowledge of the process told ESPN that Trump does not intend to purchase the naming rights through traditional corporate sponsorship. Rather, the source indicated Trump is prepared to leverage his influence over necessary government approvals to ensure his name is attached to the stadium.
“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,” the source said. “Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way.”
The D.C. Council approved the stadium project and will lease the land-a 180-acre parcel managed by the National Park Service-to the Commanders. This arrangement gives both entities a say in how the stadium is commemorated. Most NFL teams have secured hundreds of millions of dollars through naming rights deals with corporate sponsors.
This is not the first time Trump has publicly exerted pressure on the Commanders. In July, he threatened to block the stadium’s construction unless team owner Harris changed the team’s name back to the Redskins, a name retired in 2020 due to its offensive connotations to Native American groups. The team rebranded as the Washington football Team for two seasons before settling on the Commanders name in 2022, a name they have stated they intend to keep.
The D.C. Council and the National Park Service have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Trump’s potential involvement in the stadium naming process. The new 65,000-seat stadium is slated to be built in Washington, D.C., following an agreement announced in April by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Harris.
