President Donald Trump has publicly criticized and demanded that the Washington Commanders, an NFL team, change their name back to the Washington Redskins during discussions about the redevelopment of the RFK site.
The Washington Commanders dropped the name “Redskins” in 2020 after years of criticism that it was offensive to Native Americans.
The team chose “Commanders” in 2022, hoping to move forward with a new identity.
The Commanders’ name change was part of a push to modernize the franchise and remove ties to racial stereotypes. However, Trump has repeatedly criticized the move.
Trump, who has never been a fan of the new name, called the current team name, “Commanders,” “ridiculous.”
Similarly, Trump also took aim at the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, urging them to revert to their old name, the Cleveland Indians.
Both teams have stated that they have no plans to revert to their old names.
Trump Threatens to Block RFK Stadium Deal if the Commanders Don’t Change Their Name Back to the Washington Redskins!
President Trump’s remarks came as talks are underway for a new stadium for the Commanders at the site of the old Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium in Washington, D.C.
The team, which has played at FedExField in Maryland since 1997, wants to return to the nation’s capital.
On July 21, 2025, on his social platform, Truth Social, he wrote that if they don’t change the name, he might block a deal to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C. He 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.
Donald Trump
A deal was announced earlier this year to redevelop the RFK site, which is on federal land.
Congress gave the District of Columbia control of the land in December 2024, and President Joe Biden signed the bill in January 2025.
The D.C. Council is now reviewing a $3.7 billion proposal to move forward with the project.
Trump claims the team would be “much more valuable” if it went back to the Redskins name. He also said there’s a “big clamoring” for the change, though he didn’t provide evidence.
He argued that Native Americans want the old names restored, saying their “heritage and prestige” are being taken away. However, groups like the National Congress of American Indians have long called names like “Redskins” harmful and outdated.
It’s unclear how Trump could block the stadium deal. The federal government no longer controls the RFK site, and the D.C. Council has the final say.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he hasn’t heard anyone suggest tying the stadium deal to a name change. Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office had no comment on Trump’s posts.
