Earlier in the week, reports indicated that the United States President Donald Trump would be attending the Week 10 matchup between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. They were true as Air Force One flew over the stadium and Trump, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others, watched the Commanders take on the Lions.
While the Commanders struggled to find much momentum, Trump was invited to the FOX broadcast booth, where he, Kenny Albert, and Jonathan Vilma discussed the President’s brief football career in high school.
Did United States President Donald Trump Play Football?
During the second half of the Lions and Commanders game, Trump joined Albert and Vilma in the broadcast booth. While he called a play and discussed the Commanders’ team, the trio wrapped up their conversation by talking about the President’s very brief high school football career.
As they wrapped up, Trump told the commentators, “We had a good time and I loved it. I actually love playing football; we had a good time with it.”
Vilma responded to Trump, “We were trying to look up your stats, how many touchdowns did you have back then…6,7?” While he was making a joke involving the viral “6,7” craze, the broadcast flashed a picture of Trump in uniform as a member of the New York Military Academy Football team from 1959 to 1964.
President Trump after admitting he didn’t score any touchdowns during his high school football career:
“At least you realize I never tell a lie.”pic.twitter.com/4b5QmWtUjc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 9, 2025
They all shared a laugh as Trump reminisced, responding, “I’m not sure I had any, that’s a long time ago. At least you realize I never tell a lie. That’s very good, I haven’t seen that picture in a very long time.”
While Trump does not have a noteworthy past in athletics, he has been an active viewer of sports during his time as president. He became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, having attended Super Bowl 59 between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Trump also became the first sitting president to attend a regular-season game since Jimmy Carter in 1978.
While Trump has not played a lot of football, he has been involved with the league as a businessman. Trump formerly owned the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. He attempted to force a merger between the USFL and NFL in the 1980s, and while he and the USFL won a lawsuit finding the NFL a monopoly, it was mostly a symbolic victory, leading to no fundamental changes.
