President Donald Trump wants the Commanders to change their name back to the Redskins: “The name had heritage behind it”

Donald Trump recently showed support for the Washington Football Team ditching the Commanders name and reverting to their old Redskins title along with the logo.

President Donald Trump wants the Commanders to change their name back to the Redskins: “The name had heritage behind it”

Donald Trump bats for the Washington football team to change their name back to the Redskins (Image via IMAGO)

A section of the Washington football team (Commanders) has been trying to get the brass to change its name back to the Redskins. They’d better add one more name to that list. The president of the United States of America, Donald Trump.

It doesn’t matter which political side one leans to; football fans know that Trump is an avid watcher and admirer of the NFL and college football. He keeps tabs on all the little details surrounding America’s favorite game. He may even have a fantasy football team, who knows?

Trump usually doesn’t get football-related questions while he’s busy managing the world order. During a recent press conference, a reporter’s question caught him off guard. It was an inquiry about whether the Washington football team would change their name back to the Redskins. Trump laughed and accepted that he had never received a question on the subject before.

Trump is all in for the Washington football team, or the Commanders, to revert to their old name, the Redskins. He argued that the Kansas City Chiefs are a good example, along with praising their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes’ wife and mother, for being his supporters.

In Trump’s view, the word Redskins honored the Indian population of the DC area. It was a tribute to their heritage and their contribution to the country.

I think it’s degrading to the Indian population, and it’s a great population… They like [it] when they’re called by various names. Now, Washington, the Redskins, perhaps that’s a little different, but I can tell you I spoke to people of Indian heritage and they love that name and they love that team. And I think it’s a much… it’s superior name to what they have right now [Commanders]. It had heritage behind it; it had something special.

Donald Trump said

Why did the Washington Football Team change its name from Redskins to the Commanders?

The era of the COVID-19 pandemic was a very difficult period for the former Washington owner, Dan Snyder. Several misconduct allegations were brought against his name. On top of it, he had the pressure of taking the Reskins’ name down from his sponsors.

President Donald Trump wants the Commanders to change their name back to the Redskins: "The name had heritage behind it"
Dan Quinn (Image via IMAGO)

The general population wanted a new name because the word ‘Redskin’ sounded derogatory toward the Native American population.

Snyder was in a pinch. FedEx and Nike, along with the Washington team, announced a thorough review of the name.

The last straw came from the unfortunate death of George Floyd, who was later revealed to have been murdered by Minneapolis police officers. It triggered a nationwide campaign against racial injustice and systemic racism.

The pressure from the sponsors and the general population forced Snyder to take action.

Dan Snyder and coach [Ron] Rivera are 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.

A statement from the Washington Football Team read

They received 40,000 name suggestions. Eventually, Snyder and his team settled on calling the Washington football team the Washington Commanders. The new identity promised to usher in a new era of Washington football.

The success came, but Snyder was no longer in the building to witness it. Last year, new owner Josh Harris appointed Dan Quinn as the head coach and drafted Jayden Daniels as their new quarterback. The Quinn and Daniels duo led the Commanders to their first NFC championship game since the early ‘90s.

However, the tide is changing once more. A recent survey suggested fans want the team to switch back to the Redskins. In January 2025, Harris was asked whether they would consider reverting to the previous name. After careful consideration and debate with his board members, Harris revealed that the name ‘Commanders’ is here to stay.

In this building, the name Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, are mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.

Josh Harris said (ht/Associated Press)

The name change movement now has Donald Trump’s approval. Perhaps this may give Harris and the Commanders’ brass a chance to sit down for another discussion.

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