Donald Trump makes stunning flyover for first NFL visit of the season… hours after it emerged he wants $3.7bn new stadium named after him

Donald Trump stunned NFL fans on Sunday by flying over Northwest Stadium near D.C. before attending the Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders game, where he joined Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma in the Fox broadcast booth during the third quarter.

Trump became the first president to attend a regular-season NFL game since 1978 and celebrated his arrival in style with Air Force One flying low over the stadium.

His attendance was met with boos from some fans near his suite, while senators gathered in D.C. to vote on potentially ending the now 40-day government shutdown.

Trump was at the game as part of the Washington team’s ‘Salute to Service’ day, a league-wide initiative of the NFL ahead of Veterans Day on November 11. He swore in military members at halftime, but as he addressed the crowd he appeared momentarily taken aback by the feisty reaction from parts of the 67,000-seat stadium.

Trump appeared to be in a triumphant mood as he stepped off his plane in DC just after Air Force One landed, saying: ‘Was this the biggest flyover ever? No one had ever built an overpass like this! They say whoever flies Air Force One are the best pilots. And we just saw this.’

Unfortunately, the President couldn’t make it to a close game on Sunday. The Lions took a 25-10 lead into halftime and the Commanders were missing star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his elbow last week.

“The backup quarterback (Marcus Mariota) is a good quarterback and he has some very good games,” Trump said in the broadcast booth. ‘The first-string quarterback (Daniels) has the potential to be a great quarterback, he just needs to stop the injuries somehow.’

Donald Trump later said it was the ‘largest overpass ever’ before arriving at the stadium

View from Air Force One, which Trump said was one of the best flyovers ever

Trump joins Fox broadcast booth after spectacular arrival at Lions vs Commanders

Trump talked about his football career at the military academy and joked that he proved he wasn’t lying by admitting he never scored a goal.

‘I played tight end, I loved playing football,’ he said. ‘I loved the Jets and the Giants. We had a few Super Bowl appearances with the Giants, with the Jets it takes a while.’

When asked about his love of sports, Trump said, “It’s a microcosm of life, it’s kind of like life. The good, the bad and the ugly.”

‘But you can equate sport with life, you have victory, you have problems and you have to overcome problems to achieve victory and you can never give up, you can never give up.’

Trump then discussed the improvements he has observed in his first year as President, moments before Commanders quarterback Mariota threw a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. This meant the Commanders were now 16 points behind at 32-16.

‘We’re doing great, just like they should be great right now. “Let’s see what happens,” Trump said moments before Mariota picked Samuel. ‘There, look! This was very important. ‘There’s still a little way to go, but it was very important.’

But while Detroit brought excitement to the field, there were many football fans who thought the best moment in the first half came from the sky.

“People have no idea how big Air Force One is, this must be incredible,” one fan wrote in response to the images on social media.

Trump appeared momentarily surprised by booing as he addressed the halftime crowd

Trump took his place in the stadium shortly before halftime of the match

Another wrote: ‘An epic display of patriotism and a reminder of what true leadership looks like. ‘The flyover was a perfect tribute to the brave people who served our country.’

Trump attended the match along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, House Speaker Mike Johnson, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

According to a report by ESPN on Saturday, a White House intermediary told the Commanders’ ownership group that Trump wants the club’s new stadium to bear his name.

Under an agreement between the team and the District of Columbia announced in April, the team will return to the nation’s capital with a new stadium expected to cost about $4 billion.

The facility will be built to replace RFK Stadium, where the team played for more than three decades when it won three Super Bowls in the 1980s and 1990s.

“That would definitely be a nice name, because it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,” said Karoline Leavitt, the Republican president’s press secretary.

In July, Trump threatened to delay the deal, insisting that the team change its name from the Commanders to the Redskins, a name considered offensive to Native Americans.

Trump has long enjoyed being mentioned in many places, from his career as a real estate developer to high-rise buildings, hotels and golf courses, to branding deals such as the Bibles, watches and cologne Trump has adorned.

Trump waves to fans in the stadium trying to catch a glimpse of the president

Heavily armed law enforcement officers stand guard on the sidelines before kickoff in Washington, D.C.

As Trump boarded Air Force One in West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon after playing golf in Florida, extra security measures were taken hours before the game was set to begin at Northwest Stadium.

Officers in black undercover uniforms who identified themselves as members of the Secret Service joined military, police and other guards inside and outside Northwest Stadium. There were more fences than usual blocking sidewalks and some roads were restricted.

According to the league, a president has only been to an NFL game twice during the regular season while in office: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.

Trump became the first president to go to the Super Bowl in February when he watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 while at the White House.

Sunday’s visit to Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, will be the latest in a series of high-profile appearances by Trump at sporting events including golf’s Ryder Cup, auto racing’s Daytona 500 and tennis’ U.S. Open.

While measures were increased with the participation of Trump, a fan was searched by security guards

Security was tight at Northwest Stadium as officers from various agencies patrolled

Trump photographed after touching down after spectacular Washington overpass

“We are honored to welcome President Trump to the game as we celebrate those who have served and continue to serve our country,” said Commanders club president Mark Clouse.

‘The entire Commanders organization is proud to participate in the NFL’s league-wide Salute to Service initiative and recognizes the dedication and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans, active-duty service members and their families this Sunday.’

There was a rift between Trump and the NFL during his first term as president over his objection to players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social or racial injustice. This movement started in 2016 with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Trump, through social media and other public comments, has insisted that players must stand for the national anthem and called on team owners to fire anyone who kneels.