President Donald Trump made an unannounced appearance at Sunday’s Washington Commanders game, arriving aboard Air Force One for a Veterans Day tribute that included a flyover of Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, before joining fans in the stands for the team’s matchup against the Detroit Lions, as reported by The New York Post.
As Air Force One passed over the open-air venue, thousands of spectators cheered, with video from the plane showing the crowd and the aircraft projected on the jumbotron.
Airforce 1 doing a Flyover over the Lions and Commanders game…
Trump is the People’s President.
What a time to be alive! pic.twitter.com/Sh9NdRTFzV
— Logic (@LogicTurn) November 9, 2025
“Was that the greatest flyover ever?” President Trump asked after landing, before taking his seat in the owner’s box alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
NEW: President Trump after landing at the Washington Commanders vs Detroit Lions game:
“Was that the greatest flyover ever? Nobody’s ever done a flyover like that. These are the best pilots in the world. That was great.”
pic.twitter.com/GhynxhVXEk
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 9, 2025
At halftime, the president presided over the stadium’s Veterans Day ceremony, swearing in a group of new enlisted service members. Trump smiled as he read the oath line, “I will obey the orders of the President of the United States,” over the stadium’s sound system.
His appearance drew a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd, though many attendees responded enthusiastically, waving flags and chanting as players mimicked Trump’s familiar fist-pump gesture during touchdown celebrations.
The president even provided brief live commentary during the third quarter of the nationally televised broadcast.
“I think this is a very important couple of plays. Second and seven, let’s see what happens. Well, that’s alright. Not bad. Good runner,” he said.
“This is a very big play, don’t you think? They have to get a touchdown, let’s put it differently, they just have to get a touchdown.”
Following the game, Commanders owner Josh Harris presented Trump with a framed team jersey displaying his name and the number 47 — a nod to his position as the 47th President of the United States.
Tickets for the game reportedly sold out after Trump’s attendance was announced, according to the National News Desk.
His appearance came one day after ESPN reported that the president has expressed interest in the new Commanders stadium being named after him.
Neither President Trump nor the Commanders have confirmed the report, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not dismiss the idea when asked about it.
“That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” Leavitt told The Post on Saturday.
NFL: President Trump performs an epic flyover on Air Force One at the Washington Commanders vs Detroit Lions game! Trump will be attending the game with an interview during the 3rd quarter! This game is dedicated to US service members, veterans, and their families. America! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/vcCID5MeCD
— John Cremeans (@JohnCremeansX) November 9, 2025
The Commanders are currently playing at Northwest Stadium while their new $3.7 billion facility is under construction in Washington, D.C., and is expected to open in 2030.
Trump’s relationship with the franchise has been complex. In July, he publicly stated that he might hold up the stadium project unless the team restored its former name, the Redskins, which was dropped in 2022.
The Commanders have not indicated any plans to change their current name.
President Biden, before leaving office, signed legislation transferring federal land to the city for the new stadium project, paving the way for construction to move forward.
