Trump said if the team doesn’t change their name, he will block the new Washington Commanders Stadium

Trump claims that before D.C. approves the stadium deal, the “Redskins” name should be reinstated.

Following his threat to halt preparations for a new Washington Commanders stadium until the team reverts to the “Washington Redskins” moniker, Donald Trump is causing a stir in the sports community.

The Commanders, who now play in Maryland, are negotiating a new stadium project on federally owned land in Washington, D.C. However, in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the team’s use of the “Commanders” moniker “ridiculous” and threatened to veto the stadium contract unless the “Redskins” name was used again.

“The Washington Redskins Football Team should be the new moniker for the Washington ‘Whatever’s’ right now. A lot of people are demanding this,” Trump wrote. He also took aim at Major League Baseball, claiming—without providing proof—that “our great Indian people” want the Cleveland Guardians to return to their previous “Indians” moniker.

After years of criticism for the name’s disparaging connotations toward Indigenous populations, the Commanders decided to drop the “Redskins” moniker in 2020. For similar reasons, the Cleveland Indians announced in 2021 that they would be changing their name to the Guardians. Civil rights activists and Native organizations celebrated both name changes as advancements.

Trump’s position coincides with the D.C. Council’s deliberations over a multibillion-dollar proposal to renovate the Commanders’ RFK Stadium. Last year, Congress gave the property to the city, and President Biden signed the legislation into law. Trump is now implying that if the crew doesn’t comply, he could use his power to stop the project.