Donald Trump booed as the 1st sitting US president at a regular-season NFL game since Carter in 1978

LANDOVER Md AP Donald Trump became the first sitting president in nearly a half-century at a regular-season NFL contest attending the Washington Commanders - loss to the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday There were loud boos from chosen spectators in the stands when Trump was shown on the videoboard late in the first half standing in a suite with House Speaker Mike Johnson and again when the president was introduced by the stadium announcer at halftime The jeering continued while Trump read an oath for members of the military to recite as part of an on-field enlistment ceremony during the break in the event I m a little bit late Trump stated reporters earlier when he got off Air Force One after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a flyover of Northwest Stadium during the challenge He then got in his armored car for the drive to the arena We re gonna have a good tournament Things are going along very well The country s doing well The Democrats have to open it up he stated a reference to the cabinet shutdown In the first quarter Sunday before the president arrived Lions receiver Amon-Ra St Brown celebrated a touchdown catch by pointing into the stands and moving his arms a la the Trump dance that several athletes began doing last year I heard Trump was going to be at the competition St Brown noted afterward I don t know how multiple times the president s going to be at the competition so just decided to have various fun Lions coach Dan Campbell noted he was too consumed by the encounter itself to notice that Trump had arrived But that s cool You re talking about the president of the United States That s a big deal His unit s quarterback Jared Goff was intrigued with seeing Trump s plane fly so low over the stadium Awesome that he was here Goff announced During the third quarter Trump joined Fox broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma for about eight minutes of lighthearted chat Albert opened by asking Trump about his time playing high school football at New York Military Academy I played tight end but it was not quite football like this It was a little bit easier It wasn t so tough Trump noted Trump left before Sunday s battle ended Only two other times did a president go to an NFL battle during the regular season while in office according to the league Richard Nixon in and Jimmy Carter in Trump became the first president at a Super Bowl while residing in the White House when he watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs - in February According to a document by ESPN on Saturday an intermediary for the White House has described the Commanders ownership group that Trump wants the club s new stadium part of a nearly billion project in the nation s capital at the site of what was known as RFK Stadium to bear his name In Sunday s TV appearance Trump spoke about the gang s plans to return to Washington They re going to build a beautiful stadium That s what I m involved in we re getting all the approvals and everything else he noted And you have a wonderful owner Josh Harris and his group And you re going to see chosen very good things Sunday s visit was the latest in a series of high-profile appearances at sporting events by Trump including golf s Ryder Cup auto racing s Daytona and tennis U S Open I just love it It s a microcosm of life Trump disclosed about sports during Sunday s broadcast It s sort of like life the good the bad and the ugly Before the championship Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth chatted with Harris the leader of the group that purchased the Commanders from Daniel Snyder for about billion in and took part in an on-field ceremony with members of the military Hegseth was among those watching the match with Trump along with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles Training Secretary Linda McMahon and Republican Sen Steve Daines of Montana There was friction between Trump and the NFL during his first presidential term when he objected to players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social or racial injustice That movement began in with then- ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick Via social media and other residents comments Trump insisted that players should stand for the national anthem and called on squad owners to fire anyone taking a knee