Trump Demands Commanders Revert to Redskins Name

Donald Trump has issued a demand for the Washington Commanders to revert to their previous name, the Redskins, and has threatened to obstruct a stadium deal if the team does not comply. Trump made this statement on his social media platform, asserting that the team would be "much more valuable" with its old name. He also expressed a desire for Cleveland's baseball team to revert to its former name, the Indians, citing a "big clamoring for this."

The Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have both stated that they have no plans to revert to their previous names. The Commanders, who have been known by their current name since the 2022 season, are in the process of building a new stadium at the site of the old RFK Stadium. Trump's ability to influence this deal is uncertain, as President Joe Biden signed a bill in January transferring the land from the federal government to the District of Columbia. This provision was part of a short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December.

Josh Harris, whose group purchased the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023, has stated that the team's name will remain unchanged. Chris Antonetti, the president of baseball operations for the Cleveland Guardians, also indicated that there are no plans to revisit the name change. The Guardians, who changed their name from the Indians in 2021, have been building their brand under the new name for the past four years.

Trump's demand reflects his broader effort to reverse changes made during a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice. The Washington team, which started in Boston as the Redskins in 1933 before moving to the nation’s capital four years later, dropped the Redskins name and the Indian head logo in 2020. The name changes had their share of supporters and critics as part of the national discussions about logos and names considered racist.

Trump's comments on the Cleveland Guardians were directed at Matt Dolan, the son of the late Larry Dolan, who no longer has a role with the Guardians. Matt Dolan ran the team’s charity endeavors until 2016 and was a candidate in the Ohio U.S. Senate elections in 2022 and ’24, but lost. Trump suggested that Dolan's political losses were due to the name change and that reverting to the Indians name could help him win future elections.

David Blitzer, a member of Harris’ ownership group with the Commanders, holds a minority stake in the Guardians, highlighting the shared ownership between the two teams. The Commanders and Guardians have both faced criticism and support for their name changes, which were part of a broader national conversation about cultural sensitivity and racial justice. Trump's demand for the teams to revert to their previous names reflects his broader effort to roll back changes made during this period.