President Donald Trump Isn’t Messing About Blocking Washington Commanders Stadium Deal if They Don’t Change Their Name Back to the Redskins

After Coca-Cola and the University of Virginia, Donald Trump has set his sights on the Commanders’ new stadium deal.

President Donald Trump Isn’t Messing About Blocking Washington Commanders Stadium Deal if They Don’t Change Their Name Back to the Redskins

Donald Trump (Images via Getty/Washington Post)

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The septuagenarian USA President and business mogul Donald Trump has been keenly associated with the sports and entertainment field far more than his predecessors. The Republican, who’s currently facing fire over his delay in releasing the Epstein files, has been at it with the Washington Commanders for the past few weeks.

Around two weeks ago, Trump advocated for a change in the Washington Commanders’ name back to the Redskins. The franchise had dropped the moniker a few years ago after severe media scrutiny to drop the perceived offensive slang.

Trump claims that they were better as the Redskins, and he didn’t particularly like that change. However, he had noted that a few wins and a good record can change the mindset about Commanders. Fast forward two weeks, and he made yet another attack on the Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians, who were previously known as the Cleveland Indians.

The President emphasized and ordered the franchise owners to shift back to the old names. Trump, who advocates by his getting done philosophy, has now found a way to ensure that his wish is fulfilled.

The President warned that he would block the Washington Commanders’ RFK stadium deal unless they revert to the previous moniker. In a recent media availability, White House Press Secretary Katharine Levitt iterated that the President is serious about this.

The President was serious–Sports is one of his many passions–He likes to see results on behalf of the American people.

White House Press Secretary noted

Can Donald Trump really influence the Washington Commanders Stadium deal?

Despite the noise and the big orders, the President, Donald Trump, has limited influence or none at all in this matter. Primarily, National Park Service transferred the RFK Stadium site (177 acres) to D.C. in February 2024, giving the city a 99-year lease to develop a stadium, training facility, and other infrastructure. This ideally means that the deal is done.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump (Image via The New Mandate)

The two levers that the President can used has also been neutered according to Gregory Korte of Bloomberg News. Firstly, federal covenants tied to the land transfer explicitly prohibit the use of federal funds for any stadium or team-related facilities.

Secondly, although Trump had appointed three of the five members on the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), their authority in this case is limited to an advisory role.

That said, the project is not entirely free of hurdles. While federal obstacles may be off the table, local scrutiny is ramping up. The D.C. Council is set to hold public hearings next week on the proposed $3.7 billion development, which includes a stadium, commercial spaces, and residential components.

Of that total, approximately $1 billion is expected to come from local taxpayers, which can make things messy. More than 400 residents are expected to testify, reflecting the project’s political and public sensitivity.

The uproar hasn’t fazed the local authorities either. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson dismissed the topic as irrelevant to the negotiations at hand. In a statement issued on Monday, Mendelson claimed that he’s focused on getting the best deal for the district taxpayers and getting the deal done.

He also added that he is yet to hear any complaints from the residents about the name change or stating that this is an issue with direct connotations to the stadium deal. Council member Charles Allen told the Washington Post that he doesn’t take the president’s social media posts that seriously.

The WaPo found out a few years back that despite a low level of liking, the fans do not want a reversion to a moniker that is long considered offensive. They also recently found that the recent success has made a positive impact on the community about the refashioned identity.

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