Trump threatens Washington commander over franchise name
President Trump is demanding that Washington commanders return to their original names and threaten the stadium’s plans if they do not comply.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is not joking about the threat to the NFL’s Washington commander, the White House says.
“The president was serious,” White House press chief Caroline Levitt told reporters when asked about Trump’s new warning to block proposed stadium deals that would return commanders to Washington if the team did not adopt the Redskins, the former name.
Washington retired from the name Redskins in July 2020. Amidst this, national protests protested the race, initially becoming the Washington Football Team for two seasons, rebranding it into Washington’s manager in 2022.
Leavitt did not talk about how he has the power to limit the team’s planned relocation to the location of DC’s Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, which served as Washington’s home stadium from 1961 to 1996 before the team moved to Landover, Maryland.
Trump’s ability to unilaterally scrap the deals of new stadium teams to return to the RFK site appears questionable after Congress passed a law that transferred ownership of the RFK Stadium site from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia in December. The $3.7 billion stadium deal, including $1.1 billion for local taxpayer funds, is in the hands of DC Council, approaching votes for the project.
But Trump has shown enthusiasm for other political fights to threaten federal funds from states, cities, universities and universities. Another route is to lobby Republicans in Congress and withdraw the land transfer bill passed last year.
The White House doubles Trump’s threat
Leavitt pointed to Trump’s reputation as a deal maker. “As part of the ‘art of trading’ and as part of his negotiation skills, as you know, sports is one of the many passions of this president and he hopes that the name of this team has changed,” she said.
When asked to explain Trump’s authority to block commander stadium transactions, White House officials directed USA Today to Leavitt’s remarks.
In 2023, longtime Washington owner Daniel Snyder sold his team to a new ownership group led by billionaire investor Josh Harris.
The commander, who enjoyed his most successful season in decades since taking part in last year’s NFC Championship Game, has not commented since Trump developed the team’s name on Sunday with the Truth Social Post. In the same post, Trump called for another professional sports team (formerly Indian Guardians of Cleveland), previously named after Native Americans, to go back to their old names.
“Washington ‘Anything’ should soon rename the Washington Redskins soccer team. There’s a huge appeal to this,” Trump wrote. “The times are different from three or four years ago. We are a country of passion and common sense. Owners, let’s do that!!!”
Trump had previously expressed support for the team’s previous name, but was marked for the first time he used his position to request a name change. He followed it in a subsequent post suggesting that he might maintain the team’s stadium plan if it returns to its previous name without abandoning the commander.
“We can limit the removal of the outrageous moniker “Washington Commander” without reverting the name back to the original “Washington Redskins,” Trump wrote. “I don’t think they’ll get a contract to build a stadium in Washington. The team is much more valuable and the contract will be even more exciting for everyone.”
The mayor of DC focuses on councils, not Trump
Under the Constitution, Congress has authority over the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Family Rules Act, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973, provided local governance for the city, including the elected mayor and city council. However, the council can still review all laws passed by the DC Council and maintain its authority over the district’s budget.
Sign-off from Trump is not required to approve the commander’s stadium deal.
Washington mayor Muriel Bowser, who helped orchestrate stadium transactions, biased when reporters asked Monday if they believed Trump had the power to block commander stadium transactions.
“I think it’s our role to be focused in DC,” Bowser said, adding that the council still needs to approve the stadium’s deal. “We need to complete our role.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump often spoke about taking over the governance of DC, which he has long ridden for crime and homelessness. Despite this, Trump hosted Bowser and Commander Harris at the White House in May, and announced that Washington’s National Mall would host the 2027 NFL Draft.
“I think you saw the president engage in a lot of things most presidents don’t have,” Levitt said when asked why changing the commander’s name is a priority for Trump. “He’s a non-traditional president. He likes to see results on behalf of the Americans.”
She added that Trump is slowing down what most Americans want.
“If you’re actually voting for sports fans around the country on this issue, even in this city, people actually support the president’s position on this and the name change,” says Leavitt.
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
