The melodrama surrounding the creation of a new stadium for the NFL’s Washington Commanders took a new turn as President Trump has (pardon the expression) moved the goalposts regarding federal input on the stalled project.
In a post this weekend on Truth Social, Trump created a potential new requirement – having the team revert to its former name of the Washington Redskins, which was dropped in 2021 for being culturally insensitive. Trump cited reaction to a previous Truth Social post on the team’s old name as fueling this new condition.
“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,” Trump wrote. “The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone.”
Trump added that Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians should also revert to their former Cleveland Indians name, stating, “Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”
The team did not immediately comment on the Trump declaration. Earlier this year, Commanders’ owner Josh Harris insisted the Redskins name was not coming back.
“I think it’s now embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff. So, we’re going with that,” Harris said in a press event in February. “The name Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.”
Trump’s position was supported by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, a former NFL player, who tweeted on X, “I played in the NFL and was drafted by the Washington Redskins. Not the ‘Washington Football Team’ or the ‘Commanders.’ @POTUS is right. It’s time to bring the Redskins’ name back.”
Hilarious. I think DTJ should meet with some Tribal Leaders and ask what they want. That’s the answer.