President Attends Commanders Game, But It Was the Lions Doing the Trump Dance

There was no Jayden Daniels for the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Instead, fans at Northwest Stadium got President Donald Trump saluting them and the team during Veterans Day ceremonies.

Trump became the first sitting president since 1978 to attend an NFL regular-season game. It came a year after becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl (LIX in New Orleans).

President Donald Trump joins FOX Sports for an interview in the third quarter of Detroit Lions at Washington Commanders on Nov. 9, 2025 (FOX Sports screenshot)

Trump: Setting Recruitment Records

After halftime ceremonies in which Trump swore in new United States service members, he talked to Fox Sports.

"We just swore in a tremendous group of young people, and that was an honor, and they are just fantastic, and they love them. You know, our recruitment's been record-setting since a year ago was a disaster for the country, and now it's record-setting," Trump said. "So this was an honor to be here."

Trump addressed no significant policy issues, but he did talk about sports. Because he loves sports.

He mentioned his days as a high school tight end and his ability (or inability) back then to score touchdowns.

"I'm not sure I had any, I'm sure. It's a long time ago." Trump said, jokingly adding, "At least you realized that I never tell a lie, right?"

Trump Rooted For Jets, Giants

Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, said he rooted for both the Jets and Giants.

"I love the Jets, and I love the Giants," he said. "I had a lot of friends, Bob Tish, and some people that owned the Giants at the time, as we're going along and progressing. And, you know, look, we had a couple of Super Bowls with the Giants. The Jets have been having a little bit of a hard time. [Club owner] Woody [Johnson} is a great guy. 

"He's a great friend of mine, they'll get it together."

 In the second quarter, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown scored on a 9-yard pass from quarterback Jared Goff. 

Although he plays for the visiting team, St. Brown pointed to the fans and seemingly encouraged them to join in his TD celebration. The receiver broke out the Trump Dance, which was quite popular around the NFL and college football in 2024.

The St. Brown celebration was a sight to see.

US President Donald Trump (C), alongside US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) and Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris (R), reads the oath for people reenlisting to the US army as he attends the NFL game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, on November 9, 2025. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump: 'Never Give Up'

Trump spoke about the importance of sports.

"I just love it," the President said. "It's a microcosm of life. It's sort of like life, you know, the good, the bad, and the ugly, right? You can equate sports with life, you know. You have the triumphs and you have the problems. And you have to get through the problems to get the triumphs.

"And you can never quite and never give up." 

Trump, as he often does, spent much of the weekend in Florida. And he left for the game from West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon even as players and coaches were already on site warming up and preparing for the game. 

(He doesn't have to worry about going through TSA and dealing with rough game day traffic, folks).

FOX Sports showed Air Force One flying over the stadium in the first quarter. And when a big 747 conducts a flyover below 2,000 feet, well, it's something.

It seemed to dip its wings in salute.

"I just want to say … was that the greatest flyover ever?" Trump asked reporters rhetorically when Air Force One landed. "Nobody's done a flyover like that."

Vilma Promotes Talk With Trump

FOX analyst and former NFL linebacker Jonathan Vilma promised there would be an "exciting conversation" with the President in the third quarter. "Looking forward to that conversation," Vilma said.

 Makes sense. Vilma is from Florida. Florida has voted for Trump in three Presidential elections.

And, just as importantly, Vilma attended the University of Miami and Coral Gables High in Miami-Dade County, which went red for Trump in the 2024 election.

Vilma has seen Trump at Dana White's UFC events in Miami.

Trump noted how great Vilma's quarterback was in New Orleans – Drew Brees – without failing to mention his friend Tom Brady as well.

The crew asked Trump to call a couple of plays, and he was a better analyst than a play-by-play man. But, well, let's just agree he should stick to being President.

Trump conducted the swearing-in ceremony of the new troops, which was broadcast on the stadium's big screen.

And during that ceremony the crowd cheered. And booed. 

There was no consensus from a crowd representing the mostly democratic District of Columbia and mostly democratic Maryland and mostly democratic Virginia. 

It must be said: Booing as new troops are being sworn in is terrible. 

And I get it, they were booing Trump. But the fact remains, after the ceremony was over, Trump was still the President of the United States.

"We're doing great, and recruitment is doing phenomenally," Trump said when asked about the state of the nation. "People have a spirit, our stock market hit an all-time high. Prices are coming down, we inherited a mess, prices are coming way down, and I'll tell you, our country has over 17 trillion dollars being invested in it, which is a record, so we're doing great."