President Donald Trump was greeted with a heavy mix of boos and cheers on Sunday as he attended the Washington Commanders game against the Detroit Lions, an appearance that drew nationwide attention both for the crowd’s reaction and for the president’s participation in a controversial halftime ceremony.
The president, the first sitting commander-in-chief to attend a regular-season NFL game since 1978, faced a wave of audible jeers from sections of Northwest Stadium’s sold-out crowd when he was shown on the videoboard late in the first half, standing in an owner’s suite. The booing intensified when he was introduced by the stadium announcer at halftime.
The contentious moment came during the Commanders’ “Salute to Service” initiative, a league-wide recognition of the military. As part of the ceremony, the president read the Oath of Enlistment to dozens of new military members who were swearing their allegiance on the field. In classic Trump fashion, he messed up the prepared statement by not stating his name when instructed by saying “I, State Your Name,” a placeholder that was on the document.
The jeering from the crowd did not subside during the high-profile moment, creating a starkly polarized atmosphere around the traditional show of respect for U.S. troops. Many fans directed thumbs down and other gestures toward the suite as the oath was being administered.
The appearance took place amid an ongoing federal government shutdown and followed reports that the president had expressed interest in having the Washington Commanders’ proposed new stadium named after him. Earlier in the day, the president had arrived in his motorcade after Air Force One conducted a flyover of the stadium.
Later in the third quarter, the president joined the Fox broadcast booth, where he spoke for nearly 10 minutes and offered commentary on the game.
