The commissioners of the four major U.S. sports leagues are in conversations over being present at the Oval Office next week when President Donald Trump unveils the latest plans regarding the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Four people briefed on the planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, confirmed to The Athletic that the NFL’s Roger Goodell, the NBA’s Adam Silver, the NHL’s Gary Bettman and MLB’s Rob Manfred are currently set to attend the event. The exact date may be subject to change in accordance with the president’s schedule and the schedules of those expected to be in attendance. The White House and the four major leagues did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump previously announced in December that the White House will host the “Patriot Games,” a four-day athletic event with high school athletes from across the country, as part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. In a video announcement from the newly formed Freedom 250 initiative, Trump said the event would feature “one young man and one young woman from each state and territory.”
Trump has also announced a UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House to take place on June 14. UFC CEO Dana White has said the event will feature official weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial and that fighters would walk to the Octagon from the Oval Office.
America’s 250th birthday also coincides with the FIFA World Cup, which takes place in June and July this summer. The Athletic revealed in December that a White House task force facilitated a proposal for World Cup host cities in the United States to house vast ‘Freedom’ trailer-trucks with U.S. flags at official Fan Festivals in celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary.
The semiquincentennial also coincides with the FIFA World Cup which will be held in the United States as well as Canada and Mexico. (Jia Haocheng – Pool / Getty Images)
The NFL announced in November that it will participate in the 250th anniversary, via on-field promotions, including special commemorative footballs featuring the America 250 logo to be predominantly utilized in games. Playoff games will also see “America 250” stenciled on the sidelines and officials will use America 250 branded coins for the coin toss.
Trump has been a frequent presence at major sports events in the United States since returning to office in January 2025, attending the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup final, the Super Bowl and this week’s College Football Playoff National Championship game between Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium.
The currently planned appearance in the White House will likely include a news briefing. During Trump’s second term, there have been instances where sports figures have landed in awkward positions at events when Trump begins discussing broader policy and global events.
In June, on the day of a FIFA Club World Cup game in Washington D.C., FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined the owner of Italian team Juventus, as well as their CEO, General Manager and a cohort of players in the Oval Office. At one point, Trump turned to the visitors from Juventus and encouraged them to give a view on the involvement of transgender women in women’s sports. Over the course of a 16-minute appearance, the group — including U.S. Men’s National Team duo Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah — stood by as Trump discussed a possible attack on Iran, whether the U.S. Civil War could have been avoided and his administration’s travel bans.
In November, Trump floated the possibility of relocating this summer’s World Cup out of cities he deems unsafe, all in front of Infantino. Trump also said he would be prepared to launch “strikes” in 2026 World Cup co-host Mexico due to concerns about drug trafficking.
Trump has previously been critical of MLB, specifically over whether the late Pete Rose should be included in baseball’s Hall of Fame.
Manfred appeared to acknowledge in May that President Trump had some influence on his decision to reinstate Rose. Manfred took Rose off MLB’s permanently ineligible list in April, which made Rose eligible for election into the Hall of Fame. Manfred had met with Trump in Washington in April.
“The president was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision,” Manfred said. “Obviously, I have respect for the office and the advice that he gave. I paid attention to (it). But I had a lot of other people that were weighing in on the topic as well.”
Rose, baseball’s career hits leader, died at age 83 in September 2024. He had been on MLB’s permanently ineligible list since 1989 for betting on baseball.