At halftime of the Week 10 game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions, fans resoundingly booed Donald Trump when he appeared on the Jumbotron during a military-swearing-in in a luxury suite. The reaction from the crowd was emphatically negative.
The incident came against the backdrop of a 40-day U.S. government shutdown, and follows Trump’s overt involvement with the team — including a July threat to halt the franchise’s new stadium if it didn’t revert to its former name, and recent reports that he wants the new facility named after himself. Neither of those demands seems likely to come to fruition.
Trump’s presence marked the first time a sitting U.S. president attended a Commanders game since 1978. It also adds to his recent string of high-profile sports appearances, such as watching the Ryder Cup, the Daytona 500, and the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
On the field, the Commanders are enduring a rough stretch. They trailed the Lions 35-16 heading into the fourth quarter, and with their record headed toward 3-7 — less than a year after reaching the NFC Championship — the team is now in full survival mode. Their challenges are compounded by the absence of quarterback Jayden Daniels, who may miss three to six weeks following a Week 9 elbow injury.
