Trump’s Stance on Washington Commanders Name Change
It seems President Donald Trump has intervened in the plans for the new Washington Commanders Stadium before construction even started. On Sunday, he referred to the NFL team in a rather dismissive way, calling them “anything” in Washington.
The team aims to return to D.C. with a new $2.7 billion venue, a plan that was set in motion alongside the announcement that the city would host the NFL Draft in 2027. In light of this, Trump has threatened to cancel the deal altogether if the team doesn’t consider making bold changes.
“If you don’t change your name, you might limit your future,” he stated. Fans might recall that in 2020, the Washington franchise ditched the Redskins name and logo in favor of a temporary title—the Washington Football Team. They later rebranded as the Commanders in 2022.
Now, Trump argues that the Redskins name should return, suggesting that there’s a significant appeal in this change. “Washington ‘Anything’ should soon rename itself back to the Redskins,” he posted on social media. He also mentioned that many Native Americans support this return to former names.
In his words, their heritage has been “systematically taken away.” Trump noted, “The times have changed compared to three or four years ago. We are a country full of passion and common sense.” He further criticized the idea of Washington abandoning its original team name, pointing out that there are numerous supporters, including various Native groups who would like to see the name restored.
Interestingly, he didn’t stop at just critiquing the Commanders. Trump directly warned of potential complications for the team’s future home field if changes aren’t made. He hinted that fans have responded positively to his previous posts, suggesting that reconsidering the name could be a condition for the new stadium deal.
“You could revert back to ‘Washington Redskins’ which would also limit the somewhat ridiculous name of ‘Washington Commanders,’” he suggested. He emphasized that announcing this name change could invigorate the stadium deal for everyone involved.
On a similar note, he referenced the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, who also dropped their former name, the Indians, in 2021. Trump pointed out that the Guardians were one of the original baseball teams and implied that they should follow suit, just like the Commanders. He proclaimed, “Make Indians great again!”
There’s definitely growing pressure on the Commanders to consider reverting back to their old name. Meanwhile, the team has playfully acknowledged their history without explicitly using the former name or logo; they recently announced they’d wear old Redskins uniforms for the upcoming season, giving fans a nostalgic nod to the Super Bowl years of the late ’80s and early ’90s.
The owner of the Commanders has stated that the Redskins name is “not coming back,” indicating that the team’s focus is more on success on the field than on the name itself. Yet, a recent poll revealed that only about 32% of Commanders fans liked or loved the current team name, while 57% expressed negative feelings towards it.
