President Donald Trump is threatening to block a new stadium deal for the Washington Commanders unless the team reverts to its former name — the Redskins. In a series of posts Sunday on Truth Social, Trump blasted both the Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians over their name changes, calling them “ridiculous” and urging a return to their original identities.
“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump posted. “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.”
He added that reverting to the old name would make the team more valuable and the stadium project “more exciting for everyone.”
Trump also took aim at the Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Indians, saying the name change cost co-owner Matt Dolan politically. “What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election,” Trump wrote. “Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”
(For the record, Paul Dolan is the primary owner of the Guardians, while Matt Dolan holds a minority stake.)
Trump originally posted earlier in the day that the Commanders should “IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” claiming there is “a big clamoring for this.” He argued that Native American heritage is being “systematically taken away,” and urged team owners to “GET IT DONE.”
Guardians president Chris Antonetti responded by standing by the current name. “It’s a decision we’ve made and we’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future,” he told Cleveland.com.
The Commanders have not issued a formal response to Trump’s comments. Team owner Josh Harris, however, addressed the topic during a May appearance on Fox News Channel’s Special Report.
Harris made it clear that the organization is moving forward with the Commanders name, citing its connection to Washington’s military roots. “We’re in a military city… so we’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back,” he told host Bret Baier.
The debate comes as the Commanders pursue a plan to build a new stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium in D.C. Trump, along with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Harris, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, appeared together in May to announce the plan. While some lawmakers have pushed for the return of the old Redskins logo as a condition for moving forward, Harris has shown no sign of relenting on the name issue.
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) has publicly supported bringing the logo back, calling it a tribute to Native American heritage. He cited backing from the Blackfeet Nation in Montana and suggested that revenue from logo usage could help fund Native American sports programs.
Despite political pressure, both the Commanders and Guardians appear committed to their current names — with Trump’s remarks likely to reignite debate on an issue many thought was settled.
