United States President Donald Trump urged the Washington Commanders to change their name back to the Washington Redskins, threatening to disrupt a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, DC, should the old name not be readopted.
"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The football team retired the "Redskins" name in 2020, after years of mounting pressure from Native American advocacy groups and the general public, who criticized the name as a racial slur and being culturally insensitive.
"Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians," Trump added. The baseball team adopted the name "Guardians" in 2021.
