President Donald Trump wants the forthcoming stadium for the Washington Commanders to bear his name.
With construction set to begin on the stadium next year, ESPN has reported that the White House is in communication with the Commanders' ownership group, asking for the stadium to bear Trump's name. The venue, set to cost $3.7 billion, will be built on the site of the old RFK Stadium.
"That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ESPN.
She continued, "It's what the president wants, and it will probably happen."
On Sunday (November 9), Trump will attend the Commanders' game against the Detroit Lions as a guest of Josh Harris, managing partner of the D.C. football team. By the time the stadium for the NFC East team opens in 2030, the naming decision will likely have been made by the District of Columbia Council, which leases the stadium to the Commanders, and National Park Service, who oversees the federal government land the venue is placed on.
"The team doesn't have the authority. They can't name the stadium ... on their own," one source said. "The city would be involved in that decision, and the Park Service would be involved."
The stadium isn't the only place that President Trump wants bearing his name; the commander-in-chief has also pushed for a rebrand of the Kennedy Center by next month, per Deadline.