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If it were up to President Donald Trump, Washington’s football team would never have changed its name.
The NFL team currently goes by the Washington Commanders, but the old name, Redskins, is what Trump says he would’ve kept it as if he owned the organization.
“Well, you want me to make a controversial statement? I would,” Trump said to reporters in Morristown, New Jersey on Sunday. “I wouldn’t have changed the name. But that’s their — it just doesn’t have the same ring to me.”
Commanders owner Josh Harris told Bret Baier on “Special Report” in April that, despite his plan to bring the team back to Washington D.C. at the site of the old RFK Stadium, the Redskins name wouldn’t be coming back.
“The Commanders’ name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building,” Harris said. “So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders, and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they’re ranked.
“And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we’re in a military city here. There’s more military personnel than anywhere else, so we’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back.”
JOE THEISMANN TALKS COMMANDERS POSSIBLY HONORING REDSKINS NAME, LOGO IN FUTURE
While he may not have changed the name, Trump thinks any team that wins will stick with fans no matter what. That’s exactly what Washington did last season, reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time in almost three decades under new quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“But, you know, winning can make everything sound good,” Trump continued. “So, if they’re winning, all of a sudden Commanders sounds good. But I wouldn’t have changed the name.”
In terms of the new stadium, political disagreements have surrounded the $3.8 billion project. Less than two months after completing the stadium deal, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser said that there were delays by the D.C. Council to approve the latest budget, per Front Office Sports.
“If the Council strips the deal terms or budgeted dollars from the budget, it kills our agreement with the Commanders,” Bowser said last month with a preliminary approval of the plans needing an agreement on July 15.
Prior to his name comment, Trump was asked by a reporter about potentially stepping in if the deal remains shaky.
“Well, we’ll see what happens,” he responded. “I’ve been looking at the deal, and I don’t blame them. It’s a very important piece of property, it’s a great piece of property. So, we’ll see. If I can help them out, I would.
“Ultimately, we control that [land]. The federal government ultimately controls it, so we’ll see what happens. I saw the plans, I saw the stadium. The owner’s a very, very successful and very good man. I know him a little bit. It would be great for the NFL to be there. I can tell you that. If they want to negotiate a little tough, that’s OK with me.”
The reason behind Washington changing its name to Commanders stems from the broad critiques of Redskins being offensive to Native Americans.
The team ended up abandoning the name in wake of the George Floyd protests, calling itself the “Washington Football Team” until a major rebrand to Commanders came in 2022.
There is still a large contingent believing the name and logo should return to the historic franchise, including Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who said he would show support for the deal to bring a new stadium to the old site on the condition the team and NFL would honor the old Redskins logo.
“The irony that they were canceling Native American culture as the DEI movement went way too far,” Daines said in November 2024. “This is honoring a Blackfeet chief who was born in Montana. He is highly esteemed. The Blackfeet tribe of Montana, their current chairman and tribal council signed a letter in strong support to bring the logo back. It honors Indian Country.
“We have good discussions with the NFL and with the Commanders. There’s good faith in negotiations going forward that’s going to allow this logo to be used again. Perhaps revenues going to a foundation that could help Native Americans in sports and so forth. We’re making good progress, and based on the good faith negotiations, I made a decision to support this bill yesterday in the committee.”
Harris told Baier that he hopes construction will start on the site in 2027, and opening day would have a target for 2030.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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