President Donald Trump threatened to block the Washington Commanders’ bid to build a new stadium in the District of Columbia, escalating his feud with the NFL franchise over its decision to change its name from the Redskins.
“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,’” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.”
Trump has previously complained about the football team’s decision to change its name amid concerns the old name was a slur against Native Americans. Earlier Sunday, he had asserted there was a “big clamoring” to switch it back.
“Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen,” Trump posted. “Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”
The Commanders didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump also leveled criticism at the Cleveland Guardians, the Major League Baseball team that changed its name from the Cleveland Indians in 2021.
Trump has sought to reverse other name changes done in an effort to be racially or culturally sensitive.
Trump is limited in what he can do about sports teams outside Washington, DC. But the Commanders plan to build a new stadium on land that has been managed by the US National Park Service. The tract’s RFK Stadium was home to the team for roughly three decades until 1996.