On July 20, 2025, President Donald Trump called for the Washington Commanders to “immediately” change their name back to the Washington Redskins, a moniker dropped in 2020 after decades of criticism for being a racial slur against Native Americans. In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed a “big clamoring” supports the reversion and threatened to block a $3.7 billion deal to build a new stadium at the RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C., if the team does not comply. “I may put a restriction on them if they don’t change the name back,” Trump wrote, asserting the team would be “much more valuable” as the Redskins.
The Commanders, rebranded in 2022 after two years as the Washington Football Team, have embraced their new identity under owner Josh Harris, who in February 2025 declared, “The name Commanders means something.” A May 2025 Washington Post-Schar School poll showed 62% of fans now like or love the name, up from 36% in 2024. However, Trump’s push, echoed by figures like Sen. Steve Daines, argues the change disrespects Native American heritage, though a 2020 University of Michigan poll found 50% of Native Americans offended by “Redskins.”
Critics, including D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, question Trump’s ability to intervene, noting Congress transferred RFK land control to D.C. in January 2025. Native American groups like the National Congress of American Indians oppose the Redskins name, while the Native American Guardians Association supports it. As the D.C. Council debates the stadium deal, the question looms: will Trump’s demand reshape the team’s identity or falter against local and cultural pushback?
