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President Donald Trump attended the Washington Commanders-Detroit Lions game Sunday where he bragged about his own short-lived football career and the state of the nation under his leadership amid the longest government shutdown in history. The president arrived to watch the game in the third quarter at the home team’s Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. He joined owner of the Commanders, Josh Harris, in a private box alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson and Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Trump joined Fox Sports commentators Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma for an interview, where he was quizzed about his time playing college football, his love of sports, and then asked him if he’d like to call a play. Trump revealed that he played tight end at the New York Military Academy but admitted he never scored a touchdown during his time on the team. Vilma then asked Trump “how we’re doing as a nation”, leading the president to claim that “we’re doing great” and “prices are coming way down.” However he failed to mention the record-breaking government shutdown which has left nearly 42 million Americans who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps, scrambling to figure out how they will put food on the table now that benefits have been delayed or disrupted. Thousands of flights were also delayed or cancelled this weekend and air traffic in the U.S. could “slow to a trickle” if the federal government shutdown lingers into the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday. Air traffic controllers are just some of the tens of thousands of federal employees working without pay, or furloughed, during the shutdown. But despite Trump’s optimistic outlook, the crowd seemed less than pumped by his presence. As Trump read the oath during a military swearing-in ceremony at half-time, loud booing, intermingled with scattered cheers, could be heard on the TV broadcast. Sunday's game was part of the NFL's "Salute to Service", honoring military veterans ahead of Veterans Day Tuesday. The president arrived late to the game but with typical showmanship. Air Force One made a flyover the stadium before Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews in Prince County, Maryland. "I just want to say, was that the greatest flyover ever? Nobody's ever done a flyover like that," an excitable Trump told reporters as he disembarked the plane. Trump's attendance at the stadium was the first time a sitting president has attended a regular-season NFL game in almost 50 years. The last president to do so was Jimmy Carter in 1978. Before watching football, he had spent the morning on the golf course in Florida. On Friday, Trump had left congressional Republicans in Washington to continue shutdown negotiations as he flew to Palm Beach to attend a dinner at Mar-a-Lago. The party was the second extravagant event Trump attended in the space of a week after a lavish “Great Gatsby”-themed bash for Halloween at Mar-a-Lago. Images from Friday night’s party showed guests in black tie and ball gowns feasting on a three-course menu of beef filet, truffle dauphinoise, pan-seared scallops and a trio of desserts including “Trump chocolate cake.” On Sunday, Trump was welcomed by the Washington Commanders, even after he had threatened to derail the team’s $4 billion stadium project in D.C. if they did not restore the “Redskins” name. The Commanders were known as the Redskins between 1937 and 2019 before changing their name due to years of campaigning by Native American groups - and more recent pressure from advertisers. "We are honored to welcome President Trump to the game as we celebrate those who have served and continue to serve our country," Commanders club president Mark Clouse said earlier in the week. The D.C. Council approved the plans for the Commanders’ new stadium in November, on the site of the now-defunct RFK Stadium. And, if Trump has his way, will bear his name. According to an ESPN report, Trump wants the Commanders new stadium to be named after him. The source said that Trump was likely going to discuss the name with Harris during the game. Trump has made sporting events a regular part of his schedule over the last year. He is the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, a regular spectator at UFC fights, and has attended the Daytona 500, the U.S. Open, and the Ryder Cup.
