Donald Trump Threatens to Block Washington Stadium Deal Unless Commanders Revert to ‘Redskins’ Name

Donald Trump wants the Washington NFL team owners to bring back the Redskins name and logo and ignoring the President's wishes could have dire consequences.

Donald Trump Threatens to Block Washington Stadium Deal Unless Commanders Revert to ‘Redskins’ Name

Josh Harris and Donald Trump (Image via IMAGO)

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Donald Trump, on Sunday, issued a warning to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Washington NFL team’s owner, Josh Harris. The President of the United States of America threatened to block the proposed $3.7 billion RFK Stadium renovation drive unless the Washington NFL team drops the ‘Commanders’ and reverts to their original ‘Redskins’ name.

This new development comes right before the team’s offseason training camp. Dan Quinn’s teams made some bold moves by trading for Deebo Samuel and signing veteran 2x Super Bowl winner Von Miller to challenge the dominance of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC before moving into their new home in the old RFK Stadium site, where the team played from 1961 to 1996.

But before that, Trump sent a clear instruction to the owners of the Washington NFL franchise to reinstate the Redskins’ name and logo. Trump will stop the construction of the stadium if they fail to comply with his wishes.

My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way. 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 that ridiculous moniker ‘Washington Commanders,’ I will not make a deal to build a stadium in Washington.

Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social

He further added that the deal “would be much more valuable and… exciting for everyone.”

Trump wants the Redskins name and logo back to honor the local Native American population that inhabits various parts of DC and the rest of the nation. In general, he’s not a fan of the ‘Commanders’ name because it sounds inferior to ‘Redskins.’

Redskins’ name was still very much part of the Washington NFL team when the previous owner, Dan Snyder, took over in the 2000s. He vowed never to make any changes to the name until COVID-19 hit.

Locals and fans of the club put pressure on Snyder to drop the Redskins. Snyder’s firm held a naming contest from which they selected ‘Commanders’ as their new name.

We are announcing we will be retiring the (former) name and logo upon completion of this review. working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition-rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans, and community for the next 100 years.

Dan Snyder said in 2020. (H/T: USA Today)

Harris has previously stated that they have no desire to revert to the Redskins name. However, they might need to recalibrate to avoid Trump’s wrath.

Commanders head coach raised eyebrows by wearing Redskins-themed merchandise

In May 2024, head coach Dan Quinn arrived at the Commanders’ practice session, wearing a t-shirt that contained a minute detail resembling the old Redskins logo. The move raised a lot of eyebrows all around.

Donald Trump Threatens to Block Washington Stadium Deal Unless Commanders Revert to 'Redskins' Name
Washington Commanders quarterback #5 Jayden Daniels (Image via IMAGO)

Reporters took it as a sign that a major change was around the corner. They asked Quinn for a statement.

One of the parts of me taking this [Washington] job [was that] I was excited to bridge the past and the present. What a cool privilege that is to do. I also recognize there are a lot of layers to that. So, it was a great lesson for me. What I really hate is any attention that would’ve been taken away from these rookies and this awesome crew. Nobody wants to do that.

Dan Quinn said via NBC Sports’ JP Finlay

Quinn pulled off the unthinkable in his first year with the Commanders. He and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Washington football team to their first NFC Championship game after nearly three decades of waiting.

Despite a brave performance, they were unable to beat a strong Philadelphia Eagles team in the conference title game.

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