President Donald Trump’s brief appearance in the Fox Sports broadcast booth during Sunday, November 9, 2025’s Washington Commanders game turned unexpectedly awkward when commentators pressed him on his high school football statistics—a rare moment that caught the famously boastful president off guard.
Trump attended the Commanders’ 44-22 loss to the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, marking the first time a sitting president had attended a regular-season NFL game in nearly 50 years. The president arrived aboard Air Force One, which conducted a flyover of the stadium before his entrance in the second quarter.
During halftime, Trump joined Fox broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma in the booth, where the conversation initially focused on his football career at New York Military Academy. Trump attended the academy from 1959 to 1964, enrolling at age 13 and playing tight end for the school’s team.
The president reminisced about his playing days, explaining that the level of competition was considerably different from what modern NFL players experience. “I played tight end,” Trump recalled. “But I mean, it was not quite football like this. It was a little bit easier. It wasn’t so tough. We had a quarterback who didn’t have a very strong arm. I would say 10 yards was a long pass.”
The lighthearted interview took an uncomfortable turn when Vilma suddenly asked about Trump’s touchdown statistics from his high school days. The commentator pressed for specifics, asking whether Trump had scored six or seven touchdowns during his time on the team. Trump immediately interjected with an uneasy chuckle, admitting he was unsure if he had scored any touchdowns at all. “I’m not sure I had any,” Trump said. “That’s a long time ago. At least you realized that I never tell a lie, right?”
The broadcast booth displayed an old black-and-white photograph of Trump in his football uniform, which the president acknowledged with apparent nostalgia. “That’s very good. I haven’t seen that picture in a long time,” he said.
Beyond discussing his athletic past, Trump also participated in a halftime ceremony honoring the U.S. military ahead of Veterans Day. Flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump administered the military Oath of Enlistment to new recruits. He later touted the military’s recruitment numbers as record-setting during his interview with the Fox announcers.
Trump even attempted some play-by-play announcing during a third-quarter Commanders drive in the red zone, narrating a three-yard run by the team’s running back. At the conclusion of his booth appearance, he shook hands with Albert and Vilma, jokingly expressing interest in their profession.
The president’s reception at the stadium was decidedly mixed. When stadium cameras panned to his luxury suite, audible boos erupted from sections of the crowd, though some applause was also heard. The jeering intensified during the military oath ceremony, despite its patriotic nature. Trump waved to the crowd but appeared to acknowledge the hostile response.
This marked the latest in a series of public events where Trump faced negative crowd reactions. He experienced similar booing at the U.S. Open men’s singles final in September, a Yankees game that same month, and the FIFA World Cup final in July.
During the interview, Trump discussed his favorite NFL teams, remaining loyal to his New York roots by citing both the Jets and Giants. He praised Jets legend Joe Namath for his quick release and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for throwing a catchable ball, suggesting he would have enjoyed playing with Brees as his quarterback.
Trump also addressed the ongoing construction of a new 65,000-seat stadium for the Commanders, noting his involvement in obtaining necessary approvals. He praised the team’s ownership group led by Josh Harris, predicting positive developments for the franchise’s future facilities.
The president departed the stadium before the game’s conclusion, leaving as the Lions maintained their commanding lead over the struggling Commanders.
