General Discussion

Six years later, it’s unsettling how often we’re reminded that Trump wasn’t kidding. ESPN reported over the weekend:

President Donald Trump wants the Washington Commanders to name their planned $3.7 billion stadium after him, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN. A senior White House source said there have been back-channel communications with a member of the Commanders’ ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump’s desire to have the domed stadium in the nation’s capital bear his name. The new stadium is being built on the old RFK Stadium site that served as the team’s home from 1961 to 1996.

Soon after, other news organizations published related reports, including The Associated Press and The New York Times. For its part, the White House made little effort to deny the story: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, in response to inquiries, “That would surely be a beautiful name.”....

It’s not surprising, then, that Trump is lobbying to have a football stadium named after himself; it’s surprising that it took so long for this news to reach the public.

“You’ve got to put your name on stuff, or no one remembers you.”....

I’m not in a position to say with any confidence whether the president will get his wish on any of these fronts, but his efforts are a timely reminder to those who might’ve forgotten: Trump’s principal focus is self-aggrandizement and self-glorification, not governing.