President Donald Trump made a rare public appearance at a regular-season NFL game on Sunday, November 9, attending the Washington Commanders’ matchup against the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Trump became the first sitting U.S. President in almost half a century to attend such an event, which was held as part of the NFL’s Salute to Service initiative honoring military veterans.
However, the president’s appearance was met with mixed reactions, captured on camera, and included a noticeable gaffe during a military ceremony.
Awkward Ceremony and On-Camera Misstep
During a break in the game, the President was called upon to administer an oath to members of the military. Video clips circulating widely on social media show the President appearing visibly awkward as jeering continued from the crowd.
The awkwardness peaked when the President appeared to misread a crucial line of the oath. Instead of following the traditional format of starting with “I, Donald Trump…” as the oath requires the individual to state their name, the President read out the instruction itself:
The President read out, “and state your name…”
The error was instantly caught on camera and circulated online, compounding the negative atmosphere created by audible boos from sections of the audience.
Boos and Honors
The crowd’s disapproval was noticeable on several occasions. The President, standing in a suite alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, was booed when he was shown on the videoboard late in the first half. Scattered cheers were also heard amidst the jeering.
Despite the negative reception, President Trump used the halftime ceremony to fulfill his duty as Commander-in-Chief and honor the military on Veteran’s Day weekend.
“We just swore in a tremendous group of young people,” Trump stated. “Our recruitment’s been record-setting since a year ago, it was a disaster for the country, and now it’s record-setting so this was an honor to be here.”
The President was introduced at the game by hosts Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma. While in the commentary box, Albert noted that former President Ronald Reagan was a sportscaster and asked Trump if he would like to call the play as the game resumed. The President replied, “I would like to do that if you’d like me to.” He also offered a brief comment on the team’s performance, praising the backup quarterback and commenting on the injury issues of the first-string quarterback.