Trump says the Commanders must bring back their old name, or risk losing stadium plans in D.C. The issue is now tangled in politics, land, and legacy.
US President Donald Trump has taken aim at the Washington Commanders, urging the NFL franchise to revert to its old name, or risk losing federal support for a planned new stadium in the capital.
In a pair of statements on Sunday, Trump said he may block the team's stadium deal unless it changes its name back to the “Washington Redskins.” The franchise abandoned that name in 2020 following criticism from Native American groups, sponsors, and public officials.
“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this,” Trump wrote.
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Later in the day, he added:
“I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.”
The Commanders are currently pursuing a complicated redevelopment plan to build a new stadium on the site of RFK Stadium, returning to Washington, D.C., nearly three decades after relocating to Maryland. While the land sits on federal property, Congress earlier this year granted the city a 99-year lease on the area. Any stadium project would still require city approval.
Trump’s latest comments bring additional pressure into an already complex situation. The stadium effort, long considered a priority for the team’s new ownership, now appears tied to a growing political narrative around the team’s name.
This isn’t Trump’s first time weighing in. Back in 2020, when the team first changed its name, he criticized the move as political correctness gone too far. More recently, he voiced consistent support for the old name, and on Saturday, retired Washington defensive lineman Jason Buck told TMZ he’d “give anything” to meet with Trump about reversing the change.
The Commanders spent a year as the “Washington Football Team” before settling on their current name in 2022. Trump also extended his opinion beyond football. On Sunday, he pushed for Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old name, writing:
“MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN.”
He added that Native American communities “in massive numbers” want these original names restored, claiming their heritage was being “systematically taken away.”
The Guardians replaced the “Cleveland Indians” name in 2021. Team president Chris Antonetti responded Sunday, saying the club stands by the change.
“It’s a decision we made and we've gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years,” Antonetti told reporters.
Earlier this year, Trump also got involved in a similar issue at the high school level. He criticized New York’s state ban on Native American mascots and urged Education Secretary Linda McMahon to defend Massapequa High School, which had used the “Chiefs” name. The U.S. Department of Education later referred that case to the Department of Justice after finding the state’s policy potentially in violation of civil rights law.
For now, the Commanders have not issued a public response to Trump’s remarks, nor have the NFL or MLB.
