Trump Opposes Washington Commanders Name, Ties Stadium Deal to Rebranding

President Donald Trump has once again entered the national sports conversation, stating he would block a stadium deal for the Washington Commanders unless the team reverts to its former name, intensifying ongoing debates over sports branding and cultural identity.

Posting on his social media platform Sunday, President Trump denounced the current team name and said he may prevent the construction of a new stadium in Washington, D.C. unless the franchise restores its previous identity.

“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump wrote. “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.”

There is currently no confirmed agreement involving the president and the Commanders regarding a new stadium, and it remains unclear what specific authority he would use to enforce such a restriction.

In a follow-up post, Trump urged the Commanders to "immediately" change their name, claiming the franchise’s legacy is being eroded. “Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago,” he wrote.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed the president's position, saying he is “serious” about the matter and may leverage his “negotiating skills” to influence the team's decision, despite it being a local and privately owned franchise.

“Sports is one of the many passions of this president,” Leavitt told reporters. “He wants to see the name of that team changed… He’s a non-traditional president who gets involved in things other presidents typically haven’t.”

Trump also criticized the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, formerly known as the Cleveland Indians, taking aim at team owner and Ohio Senate candidate Matt Dolan. “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,” Trump posted. “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)!”

Chris Antonetti, President of Baseball Operations for the Guardians, stated there are no plans to change the team’s name. “We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago,” Antonetti said. “We’ve built a brand as the Guardians and are excited about what lies ahead.”

Meanwhile, the Association on American Indian Affairs criticized Trump’s remarks, calling them a “distraction from the real harm this administration continues to inflict on Native Peoples.” The organization emphasized that Indigenous communities have consistently opposed Native-themed names and mascots, describing them as dehumanizing and offensive.

“The idea that Native Nations broadly support the use of these names and mascots is false,” the group said. “These mascots reduce us to caricatures and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.”

The Washington Commanders abandoned their previous name in July 2020, citing longstanding concerns over its racial connotations. The team temporarily operated as the Washington Football Team before officially adopting the “Commanders” name in 2022.

A 2020 study by the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley found that at least half of over 1,000 Native American respondents were offended by the team's previous name.

In December 2024, Congress passed bipartisan legislation permitting the federal government to lease over 170 acres of land at the site of the former Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, returning control of the area to local D.C. authorities. This move opened the door for the team to potentially return to the city.

Josh Harris, managing partner of the Commanders, welcomed the legislation, saying it created “an equal playing field” for evaluating potential stadium locations and enhancing the fan experience.

In April 2025, the NFL, the Commanders, and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a joint effort to relocate the team from Maryland back to Washington, pending D.C. Council approval. The council is currently reviewing a $3.7 billion proposal to redevelop the RFK site with a new stadium — the same site the team once called home for over three decades.

The final stadium deal is expected to face a vote later this summer.