President Donald Trump announced Monday that Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft — but while the event was billed as a bipartisan victory for sports and the city, the optics inside the Oval Office quickly spun into something more politically fraught.
Michigan @GovWhitmer (D) admits she regrets hiding her face during a meeting with President @realDonaldTrump in the Oval Office last week in a moment that has since gone viral. pic.twitter.com/F7OnPNTHz6
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2025
Flanked by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Trump delivered the news with his characteristic flair:
“I’m pleased to reveal that the 2027 NFL Draft — that’s a big thing — will be held right here in our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., on the National Mall.”
The announcement aligns with recent developments from Bowser’s office, including her push to bring the Washington Commanders back into city limits with a new stadium on the old RFK Stadium site. Bowser praised the event as an economic catalyst:
“We believe in investing in sports because they have helped us transform neighborhoods.”
So far, so good — until Trump veered off-script.
In classic Trump fashion, a press-friendly photo-op turned into a multi-topic, freewheeling media moment. Asked about his new self-deportation incentive program, which offers $1,000 and a free plane ticket for undocumented immigrants who leave voluntarily, Trump launched into a fiery critique of President Joe Biden, immigration policy, and border enforcement.
“We have millions of people that have come into this country illegally through an administration that didn’t know what they were doing,” he said. “And now we find out officially they didn’t, because the president was incompetent. But I could have told you that before.”
Behind him, Mayor Bowser — who had just celebrated a joint announcement with the president — could be seen visibly uncomfortable, biting her lip and looking off to the side as Trump’s commentary ranged from border policy to AI-generated papal images of himself.
This is hysterical🤣 Look at the Mayor of DC’s body language, she’s about to spontaneously combust😆 pic.twitter.com/zr35LQTyVt
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) May 5, 2025
As the president continued his impromptu Q&A, Bowser’s body language became the real show: shifting, blinking, sidestepping, and generally looking like someone wishing they had ducked out five minutes earlier. Her discomfort sparked comparisons online to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2020 visit to the Oval Office, where she famously looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.
New photo of Wednesday’s Oval Office encounter involving Governor Whitmer from Eric Lee of The New York Times was published this morning. pic.twitter.com/bdGaaQGMEm
— Zach Gorchow (@ZachGorchow) April 12, 2025
Observers noted Bowser’s strained expressions as Trump toggled between serious subjects — like immigration enforcement — and humorous ones, including a now-viral AI image of him dressed as the pope.
“She needed a couple of folders to hide behind,” one user quipped on social media.
“The NFL draft wasn’t the only thing being drafted — her exit strategy was on the fly,” another joked.
