Trump threatens Washington Commanders' stadium plans if franchise doesn't change name
There's been news off the field as well with the franchise announcing plans to build a new stadium in Washington D.C. The franchise hopes to build on the site of RFK Memorial Stadium where the team played from 1961 to 1996 and is two miles east of the U.S. Capitol building.
Washington may be facing a challenge as well from the highest-ranking elected official in the country.
President Trump posted on Truth Social that he may restrict the team from building on the old RFK Stadium site if it doesn't change its name.
"I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington (name),' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," Trump posted.
He continued: "The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone." He went on to state that the Cleveland Guardians should do the same and change the franchise name back to its former name.
Washington also faces some question marks with getting that deal with Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser needing to get approval from the D.C. Council.
"I would put my level of concern – because when you're a big city mayor you're concerned about everything – I'll put it at a four [out of five]," Bowser said earlier this month.
Washington started out as the Boston Braves back in 1932 before changing its name in 1933. The franchise kept its now-former name when it relocated from Boston to Washington D.C. in 1937 and it remained for decades.
WASHINGTON UNIFORMS: Commanders reveal alternate uniforms that nod to their Super Bowl glory
In July 2020, the franchise dropped the name and logo.
"We are announcing we will be retiring the (former) name and logo upon completion of this review," the team said in a statement at the time and that team officials were "working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years."
The franchise went by the name Washington Football team for the 2020 and 2021 NFL seasons before rebranding as the Washington Commanders ahead of the 2022 season.
This isn't the first time Trump's voiced his dislike for the Commanders name. When asked about the stadium plans earlier in July, Trump said he wouldn't have changed the name in the first place.
"It just doesn't have the same, it doesn't have the same ring to me," he said. 'But, you know, winning can make everything sound good. So if they win, all of a sudden the Commanders sounds good, but I wouldn't have changed the name.'
A new stadium is one of the top priorities of the Commanders' new ownership group led by Josh Harris. That group finished a deal to buy the team in May 2023 and are hoping to finish construction by the 2030 NFL season.
In the meantime, the team would continue to play its home games at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
The team has not released a statement in response to Trump's comments at time of publishing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's trade deals could push the average new car price well above $50,000
Markets have cheered President Trump's trade deals with Japan and the European Union. New 15% tariffs on most imported products from those countries are lower than many analysts expected, and they finally bring some predictability to Trump's chaotic on-and-off-and-on-again tariff policy. But import taxes are still going up, and past experience tells us that American consumers will ultimately bear most of the cost. Some of the most important imports from Europe and Japan are cars and car parts, and the higher taxes are sure to make all facets of owning a car costlier, just as drivers were hoping for a break from soaring prices. Trump is still working on trade deals with Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, other major sources of auto imports, and those outcomes will likely hike prices further. The average new car costs nearly $49,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. Trump's tariffs could raise costs by $3,000 or more once fully priced in, with costs rising less for cheaper models and more for luxury makes. It could take several months for those import taxes to work through supply chains, but unless there's a recession that ravages demand, car prices seem certain to hit new record highs during Trump's second presidential term. Read more: The latest news and updates on Trump's tariffs Ten years ago, the average car price was just $30,000. Several factors have pushed prices higher. Americans increasingly buy big pickups and SUVs, which cost more. Manufacturers struggle to make money on small economy cars and have been pulling them from their lineups. An explosion of digital gizmos adds to the cost, as does new automaker investments in electrification, which still isn't profitable industrywide. The COVID pandemic turbocharged auto inflation due to supply chain disruptions, parts shortages, stronger demand for non-urban transportation, and other factors. Costlier new cars increased demand for used cars, fueling inflation there, as well. More expensive parts and higher repair costs caused a surge in insurance premiums, which have doubled during the last 10 years. The charts below show the trends. Auto inflation has stabilized — but prices aren't coming down. They're basically stuck at new, higher levels. The only real break for drivers has been gasoline prices, down about 10% during the last year, to a national average of about $3.15 per have been first-line victims of Trump's tariffs. That means their customers will feel the pain too. General Motors (GM) and Jeep-parent Stellantis (STLA) both said tariffs harmed profitability in the second quarter. Ford (F) will probably echo that theme when it reports earnings on July 30. Automakers aren't just suffering from tariffs on imported parts, but also from Trump's new 50% tariff on most imported steel and aluminum, which are major components in cars. Most car prices haven't risen yet. The all-in cost of buying a car has actually dropped from peak levels of 2022, when the average cost of a new car equated to 42 weeks of work for the typical buyer, according to the Cox Automotive/Moody's Analytics affordability index, which accounts for prices, incomes, and interest rates. That's now down to about 37 weeks of work. But overall costs are still about 10% higher in real terms than they were from 2012 through 2021. And it's only a matter of time before automakers start passing higher tariff costs onto buyers. Some of the most popular cars in the US market are imports. The Subaru Impreza, Toyota (TM) Prius, and Mazda (7261.T) Miata come from Japan, as a few examples. Many Audis, BMWs ( and Mercedes ( come from Europe, along with the Volkswagen (VWAGY) Golf. Those imports will all come with the new 15% tax. Korean imports include the Hyundai ( Elantra, Kia Soul, and many other models from the two Korean manufacturers. They seem likely to face the same 15% import tax, since that is becoming the standard for Trump's trade deals. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Mexico is the biggest source of automotive imports, supplying about 40% of all imported components, plus finished vehicles such as the Ford Maverick, Chevy Blazer, Mazda 3, and Nissan (NSANY) Sentra. Canada is another major source of vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica, Lexus RX 350, and many Honda (HMC) Civics. New Trump trade deals with Mexico and Canada seem further off, but in the meantime, he imposed a 25% tax on imported products from those countries that don't satisfy complex domestic-content requirements. All told, about 46% of the 16 million cars sold in the United States each year are imports, and almost all of the cheapest economy cars on the market are imports because carmakers generally can't afford to make them in America. Virtually all of those products will cost more because of the Trump tariffs. Earlier this year, when Trump was threatening 25% taxes on all imported cars, the Yale Budget Lab estimated such an across-the-board tariff would raise the cost of an average car by $6,400. That applied to all cars, whether imported or domestic, because price hikes in one major sector allow competitors to raise their prices too. If the across-the-board tariff is 15% instead of 25%, price hikes would obviously be less. Manufacturers might make adjustments and 'eat' some of the cost by accepting lower profits. But they can't eat all of the additional cost. Shareholders won't accept it, and with costs rising throughout the industry, all automakers will have pricing power, allowing them to charge more. Even if prices rise by less than under some other scenario, car buyers still have reason to expect lower prices from Trump, not higher ones. Trump ran for president last year, vowing to 'bring prices way down,' after three years of excessive inflation. Voters who went for Trump in 2024 said that was one of the main reasons they picked him. Yet earlier this year, Trump said he 'couldn't care less' if automakers raised prices to offset the cost of his tariffs. They're going to. Maybe it won't be by as much as analysts thought before, but that won't comfort buyers facing sticker shock anew at the dealership, service center, auto parts store, and insurance agency. Those Trump trade deals won't look so rosy once people start to pay for them. Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Bluesky and X: @rickjnewman. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices.
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jets UDFA DL Payton Page projected to make roster
The New York Jets are a handful of completed practices in the books at training camp. A slew of undrafted free agents are attempting to make the 53-man roster. One of the early standouts has been former Clemson defensive lineman Payton Page. The ex Tigers standout was named Third-team All-ACC in 2024. Page started all 14 games, recording 32 tackles and was named a team captain. Page participated in the Shrine Bowl, and also leaped a 33-inch vertical at the NFL scouting combine. The Bleacher Report recently named one undrafted free agent capable of making the roster for all 32 teams. They chose Page for the Jets. "The New York Jets should be looking to add quality depth along their defensive interior," Brent Sobleski wrote. "The group is shaky beyond the combination of Quinnen Williams and Derrick Nnadi. Leonard Taylor III provides some upside after making the roster as an undrafted free agent last year. Otherwise, the options consist of journeymen who can be upgraded." "Payton Page didn't become a full-time starter along the Clemson defense until his final year on campus," Sobleski continued. "The Tigers are always loaded up front and even a highly regarded recruit of his caliber has to wait his turn. If New York's coaching staff uses him in the right way, he can plug a gap effectively and allow others to make plays." It's accurate the Jets are searching for an effective interior defensive lineman to play next to Quinnen Williams. Derrick Nnadi was signed to a team-friendly deal, and Leonard Taylor III is expected to take a developmental step forward. Nothing is guaranteed to those players, and there should be lots of competition for playing time at camp. Page is a player capable of taking advantage. This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets training camp: UDFA DL Payton Page projected to make roster
New York Post
7 minutes ago
- New York Post
Vance claims ‘Trump has nothing to hide' in Epstein case, says Obama, Bush ‘didn't fully investigate' serial perv
Vice President JD Vance was adamant Monday that President Trump 'has nothing to hide' with respect to notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, while ripping into the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations for their handling of the case. 'The president has been very clear. We're not shielding anything,' Vance told reporters at an event in Canton, Ohio meant to promote the newly-enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 'The president has directed the attorney general to release all credible information and, frankly, to go and find additional credible information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case,' added the Ohio native. 'He's been incredibly transparent about that stuff. But some of that stuff takes time.' Advertisement Vance echoed other top officials in stressing the need to safeguard the names of victims in any additional disclosures about Epstein, who was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell Aug. 10, 2019, while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges. 4 Vice President JD Vance insisted that President Trump has nothing to hide on the Epstein issue. POOL/AFP via Getty Images 4 Critics have alleged that the feds know significantly more about Jeffrey Epstein than what's been revealed. Advertisement Before ascending to public office, Vance suggested the government was not being transparent about the late pedophile or his purported network of associates. 'For 20 years, you had Obama and George W. Bush's Department of Justice go easy on this guy. They didn't fully investigate the case,' the 40-year-old charged Monday. 'They didn't show any curiosity about the case, and now Donald J. Trump is asking his Department of Justice to show full transparency.' 'If you want to criticize the people who aren't showing full transparency, you ought to go after the administrations that went easy on Jeffrey Epstein, the administrations that concealed this case for 20 years, and the administrations that failed to show full transparency.' 4 Jeffrey Epstein had been a fixture among American elites for decades. Getty Images Advertisement In 2007, then-Miami US Attorney Alex Acosta cut a deal with Epstein allowing him to plead guilty to Florida state charges of solicitation of prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. Under the plea agreement, Epstein was only confined for 13 months, spending much of that period on work release. Acosta was named Labor Secretary by Trump at the beginning of the president's first term, but resigned in July 2019, days after Epstein's arrest by federal investigators, amid an outcry over the plea deal. 'Donald J. Trump, I'm telling you, he's got nothing to hide,' Vance insisted. 'His administration has got nothing to hide, and that's why he's been an advocate for full transparency in this case.' 4 President Trump has ripped into the MAGA firestorm over Jeffrey Epstein but simultaneously called for transparency. Getty Images Advertisement Trump has faced a firestorm in the wake of a Justice Department and FBI memo issued July 6 — exactly six years after Epstein's last arrest — that concluded the 66-year-old killed himself in his prison cell and did not possess a 'client list' of powerful associates who are claimed to have engaged in sex with girls as young as 14, contrary to widespread speculation. The president has lashed out at some of his supporters for believing what he calls the 'Jeffrey Epstein hoax' and accused the Democrats of pushing bad-faith claims about the case. Last week, a Florida federal judge rejected a DOJ request to release transcripts of grand jury testimony from the investigation into Epstein that preceded the 2007 plea deal. Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell sat for two days of interviews with Justice Department officials, led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
