Amid pressing global issues like potential Big Beautiful Bill repercussions from Elon Musk, ongoing tariff disputes, and the looming threat of another world war involving the United States, Donald Trump has surprisingly shifted his focus to the Washington Commanders’ nickname, just as the team is enjoying a resurgence in NFL relevance.
The franchise’s ambitious $4 billion stadium project could be jeopardized if they do not comply with Trump’s demands for a name change.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump threatened to thwart the Commanders’ efforts to construct their cutting-edge NFL stadium at the historic RFK Stadium site.1 He stated he would do this unless the team abandons the “Commanders” moniker and reclaims its contentious former name, the Washington Redskins.
“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump declared. “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 doubled down on his familiar viewpoint by bringing up the Cleveland baseball team’s transition from the Indians to the Guardians.2 He inaccurately attributed three consecutive election losses to Paul Dolan, owner of what he referred to as the “Cleveland Baseball Team,” despite Dolan not being a political candidate.
“What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA).”
The Commanders’ plan includes a futuristic glass-domed stadium boasting 65,000 seats, capable of hosting grand-scale events such as the Super Bowl.
The franchise is pouring $2.7 billion of its own money into the venture, with the District adding over $1 billion for infrastructure and surrounding development.4 Trump asserts that he ultimately holds the deciding power on whether the stadium endeavor will proceed.
Trump’s remarks have reignited distress among many Native American communities and social justice campaigners who tirelessly fought to eliminate the name.
Originally named the Redskins in 1937, Washington’s team abandoned the moniker in 2020 after enduring intense pressure, particularly amid the racial justice demonstrations of that year.5 A surge of corporate pushback, including FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo withdrawing their products, pressured the team into action.6
Additionally, 87 investment firms pressed major sponsors to sever ties unless the team made changes.
After a temporary stint as the Washington Football Team in 2020, the squad officially adopted the Commanders title in 2022.7 In the same year, the Navajo Nation issued a statement celebrating the renaming as a “historic day for all Indigenous peoples around the world.”
Trump was against the decision back then and took to Twitter in 2020, saying: “They name teams out of strength, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names to be politically correct. Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!”
