President Donald Trump threatens government action if Washington Commanders don't revert name

On Sunday, President Donald Trump called for the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Indians — previously known respectively as the Redskins and Indians — to revert to their former names. Trump doubled down on his demand later in the day, stating he might not allow the Commanders to build their new stadium in D.C. if they don’t adhere to his request.

“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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 Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone.

“Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians. The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. 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)!”

Earlier this year, the Commanders announced their plans to build a new stadium for their team. The organization plans to build the stadium on the site of RFK Stadium, the team’s home venue from 1961 to 1996.

More specifically, the new stadium would be near the Anacostia River, along East Capitol Street in D.C.’s Hill East neighborhood. The projected is expected to cost $3.7 billion and begin construction in 2026. It is expected to be completed in 2030.

While the project hasn’t encountered too much friction until now, the plans are still pending approval by the D.C. Council, with legislation introduced on June 25. If Trump focuses his efforts against the Commanders, he could influence the plans’ approval.

After a period of civil unrest in the United States following George Floyd’s death in May 2020, Washington was under more pressure than ever to change its name. A letter signed by 87 shareholders and investors worth a combined $620 billion was sent to three companies that are sponsors of the NFL and/or of Washington’s team: FedEx, PepsiCo and Nike.

The signees had a simple but massive request: Cut ties with the Washington Redskins unless they changed their name. Just nine days later, Dan Snyder, who was the organization’s owner at the time, announced Washington would be retiring the Redskins name and logo.

For two NFL seasons, Washington played as the Football Team before officially changing their name to the Commanders in 2022. In their first campaign under head coach Dan Quinn last season, the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.