President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to put the kibosh on the Washington Commanders’ bid for a new stadium in D.C. if the NFL franchise doesn’t restore its racist nickname.
Trump’s menacing is right out of his playbook to strong-arm those who appear to defy him, after musing earlier that the three-time Super Bowl champions should change their name back to a moniker that is considered offensive. Trump claimed there was a “big clamoring” for the change, including by Native Americans.
“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump claimed on Truth Social before his bullying began.
“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,” he continued.
The Commanders are pursuing a $3.7 billion proposal now being weighed by the D.C. Council to build a new stadium at the site of the old RFK Stadium, The Washington Post reported. The land is owned by the federal government, though Congress and President Joe Biden passed control of it to D.C. for 99 years with legislation last year.
One puzzled local politician downplayed Trump’s unsportsmanlike conduct.
“As far as I know, people are generally satisfied with the name Commanders, and I haven’t heard a single suggestion that the council should condition the deal for a new stadium on a name change,” D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) told the newspaper. The generations-old team scrapped its previous name in 2020 and became the Commanders in 2022.
As for what kind of restriction Trump could impose, Mendelson replied, “I don’t know what the restriction would be.”
In April, team managing partner Josh Harris, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the plan for the team to return to D.C. from its current stadium in nearby Landover, Maryland.
The team’s front office has said reverting to the old nickname is not being considered.
Trump also called for the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to take a racist step back in time and rechristen themselves the Cleveland Indians. “MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!” he wrote.
