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Updated 8 February 2026 - The NFL and Donald Trump's turbulent relationship spans over 40 years, marked by legal battles, failed ownership bids, and political clashes. As Super Bowl 60 approaches, tensions appear to resurface.
From rivals to the Oval Office
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood alongside Donald Trump in the Oval Office last May to announce Washington, D.C., would host the 2027 NFL Draft-a rare moment of public alignment between the league and the former president. Yet, their history suggests this truce may be short-lived.
Trump's contentious relationship with the NFL dates back to the 1980s, when he sought to challenge the league's dominance. His latest criticism of the Super Bowl's halftime performers underscores lingering friction.
The USFL gamble and a bitter lawsuit
In 1983, Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the upstart United States Football League (USFL). Unlike the NFL, the USFL played in the spring, but Trump pushed to shift its schedule to autumn to compete directly with the NFL.
His campaign culminated in an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL in 1986, alleging monopolistic control over television contracts. A jury ruled the NFL had violated antitrust laws but awarded the USFL just $3 in damages, deeming the league's financial struggles self-inflicted. The USFL folded shortly after, and Trump's ambitions of owning an NFL team were dashed.
"Trump came off as arrogant and unlikeable,"
a juror later recounted in a book about the trial.
Failed bids and political fallout
Trump's attempts to buy NFL franchises repeatedly fell through. He declined a $50 million offer for the Dallas Cowboys in 1984, only to watch the team's value soar to $10.1 billion under later ownership. In 2014, he claimed to have bid $1 billion for the Buffalo Bills but lost to Terry Pegula, who paid $1.4 billion.
During his 2024 fraud trial, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen testified that Trump inflated his net worth to secure financing for the Bills bid. Documents revealed Trump had provided Forbes magazine's list of top earners to bankers instead of formal financial statements.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has suggested Trump's frustration over the Bills deal fueled his 2016 presidential run, quoting Trump as saying, "If I bought that team, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing."
Anthem protests and White House snubs
Trump's feud with the NFL reignited during his presidency. In 2017, he criticized players kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, calling for team owners to "fire" dissenters. NFL Commissioner Goodell condemned the remarks as "divisive," while New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft called them "inflammatory."
Trump also clashed with the league over White House visits by championship teams. He revoked an invitation to the 2018 Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles after most players declined to attend, and only half the 2017 Patriots team showed up, citing political objections.
A fragile truce and new tensions
Last year's announcement of the 2027 NFL Draft in Washington, D.C., appeared to signal a thaw. The league's $4 billion stadium deal for the Washington Commanders-now renamed-further aligned interests. Yet Trump recently threatened to block plans for a Super Bowl in D.C. unless the team reverts to its former name, which was dropped in 2020 over its offensive connotations.
His latest target is the Super Bowl's halftime show, featuring Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny and Green Day, both vocal critics of his administration. Trump called the choice "terrible" and "sowing hatred," while Goodell defended it as unifying. With the game just days away, the NFL's decision may reignite their long-standing rivalry.
