Donald Trump‘s quest to return America to the “good old days” continues.
His latest target is refocusing his attention on the Washington Commanders, pushing them to change their name back to the Redskins, which is highly offensive to Native Americans.
Now, not only does he want the name changed, but he has also taken to social media, threatening to use his presidential influence to halt the construction of the team’s new stadium.
“My statement on the Washington Reskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way. 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 his Truth Social platform Sunday.
The president has nothing to do with the Commanders’ new stadium, so it’s unclear exactly how he can stop the new stadium from being built. Still, that didn’t stop him from erupting on social media over the team, which officially changed its name in 2022.
“Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago,” Trump wrote.
Since the early 2010s, the NFL team has been initiating a homecoming of sorts by planning to build a new stadium at RFK Stadium, which was its home turf from 1961 to 1996.
It’s set to cost nearly $4 billion, and barring any hiccups (or Trump’s involvement), they’re scheduled to break ground in 2026 and finish by 2030. The 65,000-seat stadium is domed, and while they’re still deciding whether it will be retractable, either way, owner Josh Harris tells ESPN, “Without exaggeration, this will be the best stadium in the country when it’s built.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the new stadium will also make the nation’s capital a more desirable host for the Super Bowl.
But now that Trump is threatening to get involved, see the reactions below.