United States (US) President Donald Trump has threatenedto hold up a new stadium deal for Washington’s NFL team if it does not restore its former name, the Redskins, which is considered offensive to Native Americans. Trump also stated on Sunday that he wants Cleveland’s baseball team to revert to its former name, the Indians, claiming there is a “big clamouring for this.”
ESPN reports that the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have had their current names since their respective seasons in 2022, and both teams have indicated they do not plan to change them back. Trump asserted that the Commanders would be “much more valuable” if they restored their old name.
“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,” Trump stated on his social media platform.
His latest interest in changing the names reflects a broader effort to roll back changes that followed a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice. Washington announced it would drop its former name and logo in 2020 during a broader reckoning with systemic racism and police brutality.
The Commanders and the District of Columbia government announced a deal earlier this year to build a new home for the football team at the site of the old RFK Stadium, where the franchise played for more than three decades.
Trump’s ability to hold up the deal remains uncertain. President Joe Biden signed a bill in January that transferred the land from the federal government to the District of Columbia. This provision was part of a short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December. Although D.C. residents elect a mayor, a city council, and commissioners to manage day-to-day operations, Congress maintains control over the city’s budget.
Josh Harris, whose group bought the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023, stated earlier this year that the name was here to stay. Shortly after taking over, Harris dismissed speculation about reverting to the former name, affirming that it would not happen. The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Trump’s social media posts on Sunday.
The Washington team began as the Redskins in Boston in 1933 before moving to the nation’s capital four years later. Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti indicated before Sunday’s game against the Athletics that there were no plans to revisit the name change.
“We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously, it’s a decision we made. We’ve had the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that lies ahead,” he said.
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