Former President Donald Trump has reignited his feud with the NFL, calling on the Washington Commanders to revert to their former “Redskins” nickname—a name that was retired in 2020 after years of criticism for being offensive to Native Americans. Trump also warned that he may try to block the team’s planned move back to Washington, D.C., if they refuse.
In a series of posts on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump pressured the Commanders to bring back the controversial name, stating that the rebrand was a mistake. He also criticized Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, urging them to return to their previous “Indians” name.
Though Trump didn’t mention the Guardians’ leadership directly, team president Chris Antonetti responded indirectly on Sunday, reaffirming their commitment to the current name.
“I understand there are differing opinions about the decision we made, but we’ve had the opportunity to build the Guardians brand over the last four years, and we’re excited about what’s ahead,” Antonetti said in a statement to The Athletic.
The Guardians officially changed their name in 2022, following the earlier retirement of the “Chief Wahoo” logo, which had long drawn criticism for its racist caricature of Native Americans.
The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, dropped the “Redskins” name in 2020 amid mounting public and corporate pressure. The team played temporarily as the “Washington Football Team” before adopting the “Commanders” identity in 2022. Their original name had been used since 1933 but was widely condemned in its later years as a racial slur.
Team owner Josh Harris made it clear last year that the organization has moved on from the old nickname.
“For obvious reasons, we’re not going back,” Harris said via ESPN. “I think ‘Commanders’ is now embraced by our team, our culture, and our coaching staff. That’s our identity moving forward.”
It’s uncertain whether Trump’s threats could actually jeopardize the Commanders’ stadium plans. Earlier this year, the team and D.C. officials announced an agreement to build a new stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium, which served as the team’s home for more than 30 years.
However, Trump’s influence over that deal appears limited. President Joe Biden signed a bill in January transferring control of the RFK Stadium land from the federal government to the District of Columbia. That transfer was part of a larger short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December.
Although D.C. has its own mayor and city council, Congress retains budgetary oversight of the city, leaving some uncertainty about potential political interference.
For now, both the Guardians and the Commanders appear firmly committed to their current names—despite Trump’s latest attempt to reverse the course of sports franchise history.
