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The Hill
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump mixes sports and politics with Commanders name fight
President Trump has reignited the debate over the Washington Commanders team name, the latest example of the president using sports in his second term to expand his influence and impact on culture. Trump upended what appeared to be a settled issue when he threatened to use the power of the presidency to hold up the Commanders' plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C., if the team did not revert to the Redskins name it retired in 2020. While it came as a surprise to local leaders and team officials, it was yet another instance of Trump wading into sports for political purposes. 'Sports is one of the many passions of this president, and he wants to see the name of that team changed,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. 'I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not. He's a nontraditional president.' The president has hosted championship hockey and baseball teams at the White House in his first six months in office. He has attended the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl, college wrestling championships, Ultimate Fighting Championship events and the FIFA Club World Cup championship. Trump met in the Oval Office with members of Italian soccer club Juventus and the Boston Red Sox, taking credit when the latter team went on a winning streak after the meeting. The president also was at the center of an announcement that Washington will host the NFL draft in 2027. He was joined by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Commanders owner Josh Harris. One source close to the White House noted Trump is a longtime sports fan and a former owner of the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League, which folded after three seasons. Trump's interest in sports helps broaden his political appeal, the source argued, pointing to his 2023 stop at an Iowa State University fraternity where he threw footballs into the crowd, and his game of catch with baseball legend Mariano Rivera to mark the start of the season amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. But Trump's focus on sports has expanded into the policy arena during his second term. Blocking transgender women from competing in men's sports was a defining campaign promise for Trump in 2024. Within weeks of taking office, Trump signed an executive order following through on that pledge. The president has spoken frequently about the United States's role as a host for next year's FIFA World Cup, convening a task force to help plan for the logistically complex event that will put a spotlight on transportation infrastructure and the visa system to allow visiting fans and players into the country. Trump's latest sports-related focus is on the Washington Commanders team name, an issue he has shared his opinion on dating back to 2013, when he scolded then-President Obama for weighing in on the controversial Redskins name. It is also in line with Trump's broader war against what he deems to be 'woke' or politically correct culture, something that has been a major focus of his first six months in office. Trump has in recent days demanded in comments to reporters and in posts on social media that the Commanders change their name back to the Redskins. If the team does not act — and ownership has repeatedly said the issue is settled — Trump has threatened to get in the way of a deal to build a new stadium in Washington. 'Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense,' Trump posted late Sunday on Truth Social. It's not clear what authority Trump might have to thwart the stadium deal. The stadium agreement still needs the approval of the D.C. Council, which is set to hold hearings on the issue next week. Bowser, the mayor of D.C., downplayed the suggestion that Trump's most recent fixation would ultimately derail a plan that has been bandied about for years. 'I've had the opportunity to speak on a couple of different occasions with the president about this site and about our team,' Bowser told ESPN. 'And I can say this without equivocation: He is a [quarterback] Jayden Daniels fan, and he said himself, and the presser we were at, that this is probably the best site of any site he's seen for a stadium. I have to think that that's what I've heard him say, and that's what we'll stick with.' Trump-DeSantis feud simmers Has the most bitter rivalry of the 2024 Republican presidential primary been put to rest? It depends on whom you ask. Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) traded barbs for much of 2023 and early 2024 after the governor launched his bid for the GOP nomination, a move Trump and his team saw as a slight. Trump spent months burying DeSantis with personal insults and accusing him of being ungrateful for the endorsement that helped him secure the gubernatorial nomination in Florida in 2018. DeSantis ignored the attacks for a time, but eventually he returned fire by arguing Trump had 'lost his fastball' and calling on him to debate. Adding fuel to the feud, DeSantis had cast out Susie Wiles, who was Trump's 2024 co-campaign manager and is now his chief of staff. The two men seem to have put their differences aside in recent months. Trump met with DeSantis during a trip to Florida to tout ' Alligator Alcatraz,' a facility that is housing migrants awaiting deportation. 'I think we get along great,' DeSantis told Fox News on Sunday. 'We're working very constructively. No state has done more to support their agenda on illegal immigration than we have.' Even Wiles has seemingly moved on from her animus toward Team DeSantis. 'He's a good governor, and whatever personal differences he had or whatever deficiencies he thought I had are long past my thinking about them,' Wiles told New York Post columnist Miranda Devine in a recent interview. But the goodwill does not extend throughout Trump World. Some who worked on Trump's 2024 bid have indicated they will neither forget nor forgive DeSantis for what they see as the grave offense of his presidential bid. Tony Fabrizio, who served as Trump's pollster in 2016 and 2024, responded harshly to a social media post suggesting DeSantis was positioning himself for another presidential run in 2028. 'Old Pudding Fingers @GovRonDeSantis better hope @ChrisLaCivita and I are both dead to have any minute chance in '28,' Fabrizio posted on the social platform X, invoking a rumor about DeSantis from 2023 eating pudding with his fingers.
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Native American groups slam Trump call to bring back Redskins name
Two Native American groups on Monday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to block a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., unless the local NFL team restores its old and controversial Redskins name. In Sunday posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump said there was "a big clamoring" for the team, which has been called the Commanders since 2022, to revert to its former name and that "our great Indian people" want it to happen. Trump also urged Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians, who changed their name from Indians in 2021, to follow suit. But some Native American groups slammed Trump for pushing for a return to what they called harmful names. "These mascots and names do not honor Native Peoples — they reduce us to caricatures," the Association on American Indian Affairs said in a statement. "Our diverse Peoples and cultures are not relics of the past or mascots for entertainment." "Native Nations are sovereign, contemporary cultures who deserve respect and self-determination, not misrepresentation." After decades of criticism that the name was a racial slur, the Washington NFL team in July 2020 retired the Redskins name and logo -- featuring the profile of a red-faced Native American with feathers in his hair -- that had been in place since 1933. The National Congress of American Indians said it opposes any effort to revive what it called racist mascots that demean Indigenous communities, calling it "an affront to Tribal sovereignty." "For 75 years, NCAI has held an unbroken voice: Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society," NCAI President Mark Macarro said in a statement. Because Congress retains oversight of D.C. under its home-rule law, Trump could try to influence federal funding or approvals tied to the stadium, but he lacks direct authority to block it. Congress, controlled by Trump's Republicans, also has the power to override decisions by the Democratic-dominated Washington, D.C., City Council, though it rarely exercises this authority. The team, which has been in suburban Landover, Maryland, since 1997, reached an agreement with the District of Columbia government in April to return to the city with a new stadium expected to open in 2030. The White House did not respond to a request for further comment on Trump's post. The Commanders and NFL also did not respond to requests for comment. While some groups oppose the Commanders returning to the former name, the Native American Guardians Association said it supported Trump's desire to bring back the Redskins name. "The Native American Guardians Association stands with the President of the United States in the call to return common sense and sanity back to our nation," the group said in a statement. "Virtually all Americans, to include American Indians, are fed up with cancel culture." The Commanders have won three Super Bowls and are one of the NFL's marquee franchises, ranked by Forbes last year as the league's 10th most valuable franchise at $6.3 billion. Many American professional and collegiate sports teams have Native American-themed names. Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves, the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and NFL's Kansas City Chiefs have said they have no plans to change their names.
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump has limited ways to block Washington Commanders' stadium deal
To truly jeopardize the project, the president would probably have to get creative. Trump suggested he might halt the stadium deal - which would have the team return to the site of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in D.C. - unless the Commanders adopt its former name, the Redskins. The team has played in Landover, Maryland since 1997. More: Trump threatens Washington Commanders' stadium plans if franchise doesn't change name Like any other private company, however, the Commanders organization gets to choose its name. Washington retired the name Redskins in July 2020 amid nationwide protests over race, initially becoming the Washington Football Team for two seasons, and then rebranding as the Washington Commanders in 2022. Trump can't unilaterally scrap the team's stadium deal for D.C. because Congress passed a law in December that transferred ownership of the RFK stadium site from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia. The $3.7 billion stadium deal, which includes $1.1 billion in local taxpayer funds, is in the hands of the D.C. Council, which is nearing a vote on the project. "The president can say what he wants, but the law is clear. D.C. has full power over that site," said Ankit Jain, who serves as one of D.C.'s two elected shadow U.S. senators. "There are certain conditions that D.C. has to meet - and none of them are, 'what is the name of the team.'" Ways Trump could try to impede stadium deal Trump called for the Commanders to go back to its original name in a July 20 social media post that also pushed for the Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Indians, to bring back its old name. "There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote, adding in a subsequent post that he "may put a restriction on them" if the Commanders keep their name and "won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington." Trump has no role in signing off on the stadium project. But because of D.C.'s unique status as an enclave of the federal government, the president could potentially find ways to try to impede the deal. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has authority over the D.C. Although the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act gave the city local governance with an elected mayor and city council, Congress still has a 30-day review of all legislation passed by the D.C. Council and retains authority over the district's budget. That arrangement could give Trump an opportunity to rally Republicans in Congress to block the stadium legislative package during the review period after the deal passes the council. In addition, a memorandum of understanding between D.C. and Trump's Interior Department would be required to address environmental hazards with the RFK site. And the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission - which includes three Trump appointments and three Republican members of Congress - must sign off on final stadium designs. Both hurdles could present Trump moments for intervention. More: Native Americans rail against Trump's call to change Commanders' name back. Trump has also shown a willingness in other political battles to threaten federal funding from states, cities, colleges and universities to get his way. Would he be willing to do the same to D.C. over the Commanders name issue? "I don't think this is a serious threat," Jain said of Trump's demand that the Commanders adopt its old name. Instead, Jain suggested Trump raised the issue as "a distraction" from the the backlash the president has faced for his handling of the government's files involving wealthy financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. "I don't think it's something that he's going to really follow up on, and there's very limited ability for him to do do anything there," Jain said. Truly loyalist in Congress has helped pave way to stadium The White House insists Trump isn't kidding around. "The president was serious," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters July 21, pointing to Trump's reputation as a dealmaker. "As part of the 'art of the deal,' part of his negotiating skills, as you know, sports is one of the many passions of this president and he wants to see this team's name changed." When asked to explain Trump's authority to block the Commanders' stadium deal, a White House official directed USA TODAY to the comments from Leavitt, who did not address how Trump could execute his threat. More: Trump 'serious' about blocking Washington Commanders relocation to DC, White House says Convincing Republicans in Congress to block the stadium deal if the council approves the legislation could be a tough sale, even for Trump. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., a Trump ally and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, worked to get the land transfer of the RFK site through Congress and is a vocal supporter of the project. In a July 17 letter to the D.C. Council's chairman, Comer urged the council to approve the stadium deal no later than August and expressed disappointment in delays that have held up a vote. "The federal government transferred administrative control of this valuable property with the clear expectation that the D.C. Council would act decisively to maximize its potential," Comer wrote. Commanders, DC mayor stay quiet on Trump Longtime Washington owner Daniel Snyder in 2023 sold the team to a new ownership group led by billionaire investor Josh Harris, who has elected to keep Commanders as the name and has called the debate settled. The team just completed its most successful season in decades, capped by an appearance in the NFC championship game. The Commanders and Harris have not issued a formal statement on Trump's remarks. Commanders General Manager Adam Peters, addressing reporters on the first day of training camp Tuesday, said the team isn't focused on the stadium situation. "We really just try to focus on what's going on in here and getting ready for the season," Peters said. More: Commanders are focused on football, not Trump's stadium threats Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who helped orchestrate the stadium deal, deflected when a reporter asked her Monday whether she believes Trump has the power to block the Commanders' stadium deal. "I think the thing that we should focus on in D.C. is doing our part," Bowser said, adding that the council still needs to give the green light. "We need to complete our part." Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has often talked about taking over the governance of D.C., a city he has long derided for crime and homelessness. Nevertheless, Trump hosted Bowser and the Commanders' Harris at the White House in May to announce Washington's National Mall would host the 2027 NFL Draft. Trump never mentioned the Commanders name during the announcement In fact, more than a decade ago, Trump had a very different take in 2013 when then-President Barack Obama said the Redskins should consider changing the team name to something less offensive. "President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems!" Trump wrote on Twitter at the time. "FOCUS on them, not nonsense." Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Donald Trump's hypocrisy? Once mocked Barack Obama over NFL team name change, now pushes same ‘Redskins' agenda
Donald Trump's old tweet slamming name change resurfaces as he now demands return to 'Redskins' (Getty Images) President Donald Trump has reignited controversy by pushing the Washington Commanders to revert to their former name—the Redskins—a term widely denounced as a racial slur against Native Americans. His stance has invited widespread criticism, especially as an old tweet of his has resurfaced, in which he condemned then-President Barack Obama for making similar commentary on the same issue. Donald Trump's old tweet slamming name change resurfaces as he now demands return to 'Redskins' Back in 2013, when Barack Obama suggested it might be time for the Washington NFL team to consider changing their name, Donald Trump was quick to fire back. 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name—our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense,' he wrote on X. At the time, Trump framed the issue as trivial and accused Obama of being distracted from more pressing national matters. Fast forward to July 20, 2025, and Trump appears to be eating his own words. In a post on Truth Social, the POTUS threatened to block the Washington Commanders' stadium deal unless the team changes its name back to the Redskins. '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,' he wrote. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Trump even expanded his cultural crusade by targeting Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians, calling on them to return to the name 'Cleveland Indians,' despite both name changes stemming from long-standing criticism of racial insensitivity. Critics pounce on Trump's contradictions Social media didn't take long to highlight the glaring contradiction. Within hours, screenshots of Trump's 2013 tweet were circulating widely, fueling allegations of blatant hypocrisy. The timing couldn't be more suspect, as Trump's comments arrived amid public scrutiny over unreleased Epstein investigation files and economic challenges across the country. Many have labeled the NFL name dispute as a political sideshow—part of a broader strategy to spark outrage and distract from deeper issues. Whether Trump's threats will bear any fruit remains uncertain. What's clear, however, is that his critics are armed with his own words, ready to challenge him at every turn. His claim that there's a 'big clamoring' to restore the Redskins name has been disputed, especially given the name was dropped in 2020 following a wave of national protests and calls for racial justice. The team operated as the Washington Football Team until 2022 before rebranding as the Commanders. Trump's attempt to politicize team branding again raises questions—not just about cultural sensitivity, but about consistency, credibility, and calculated outrage in American politics. FAQs: 1. When did the Washington Commanders change their name from Redskins? The team dropped the "Redskins" name in 2020 due to growing criticism over its racial insensitivity. 2. Why was the name "Redskins" considered offensive? "Redskins" was widely regarded as a racial slur against Native Americans and sparked years of protests and backlash. 3. What did Donald Trump recently say about the team's name? Trump threatened to block a stadium deal unless the team reverts to the "Washington Redskins" name. Also Read: Travis Kelce took Taylor Swift obsession to the racetrack with surprise stake in horse named 'Swift Delivery' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
CNN
12 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Analysis: It wasn't a ‘woke' decision to change the Washington football team's name. It was a business call
When President Donald Trump reopened a long-closed conversation about the name of the Washington NFL team, he and others implied that liberal thinking forced the venerable franchise to change its name from Redskins to Commanders in 2022. It wasn't 'wokeness' that led to that moment. It was capitalism. Corporate sponsors made the decision, not politicians or fans. On July 2, 2020, after the murder of George Floyd in late May and the resulting national conversation on race and racism, FedEx – the title sponsor of the team's stadium at the time – called on the franchise to change its name. Nike removed Redskins apparel from its website on the same day. The next day, the league and the organization announced that they were reviewing the team's name. Soon, Amazon, Target and Walmart also removed Redskins merchandise from their stores and websites. At a time of heightened corporate sensitivity to racism, the franchise suddenly saw the possibility of millions of dollars in revenue being lost due to the Redskins name. After years of controversy, the organization's then-leadership finally saw the financial writing on the wall and gave up a fight they had promised to wage forever. On July 13, the team announced it was retiring its name and logo and would go by the name Washington Football Team for the time being. Less than two years later, after a contest to rename the team, it became the Commanders. None of this came about quickly, or without a fight. This was a conversation, and a decision, years in the making. Protests occasionally popped up around Washington Redskins games in the 1990s and early part of the 21st century, but there was no evidence of a groundswell to change the name. In 2013, the National Congress of American Indians, representing 1.2 million people in its member tribes, announced that it opposed the moniker. The team consistently replied by saying it was honoring the achievements of Native Americans by keeping the name. As evidence, then-team president Bruce Allen said that three high schools with a majority Native American student body used the name. The team and its supporters mentioned a 2004 poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center that found that a majority of Native Americans were not offended by the name. Then again, the use of public polling methods to measure a small, diverse population also came into question and was criticized by experts. More than a decade ago, Sports Illustrated's Peter King led the way, as did a few other sports journalists, including myself, publicly stating that we would no longer use the name – a name that each of us had said thousands of times in our careers covering the NFL. 'Try explaining and defending the nickname to a child,' I wrote in 2013. 'It's impossible.' Back then, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was still defending the team's name, but he said in radio interviews that he wanted to 'listen' on the issue. 'We'll always listen, and we'll always be open,' he said on ESPN Radio August 1, 2013, when asked to compare his defense of the Washington team name with his comments on Philadelphia Eagle Riley Cooper's racist slur at the time, which were anything but a defense: 'Obviously wrong … insensitive and unacceptable,' Goodell said of Cooper's language. Goodell went farther a month later while speaking to a Washington radio station: 'Ultimately it is Dan (Snyder's) decision, but it is something I want all of us to go out and make sure we are listening to our fans, listening to people that have a different view, and making sure we continue to do what is right. We want to make sure the team represents the strong tradition and history that it has for so many years. … If we are offending one person we need to be listening and making sure we are doing the right things to address that.' As the battle reached a crescendo, a federal judge in Northern Virginia ordered the cancellation of the team's federal trademark registrations in 2015 because the team's name was viewed as 'disparaging' to Native Americans. It was the team's biggest legal and public relations loss to that point. That decision came two years after then-owner Dan Snyder told USA Today sports reporter Erik Brady that he would 'NEVER' change the Redskins' name. 'We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.' Seven years later, the name was gone.
