President Donald Trump shared his views on the Washington Commanders’ team name and ongoing plans to build a new stadium at the site of the former RFK Stadium, offering candid opinions on both matters during recent public comments.
Trump Says He Would Have Kept the Former Name
In an interview on Sunday, Trump was asked about the Commanders’ branding and whether the NFL team should have changed its name from its previous moniker, which was widely criticized for being offensive to Native Americans.
“I wouldn’t have changed the name,” Trump said. “It just doesn’t have the same ring to me.”
While acknowledging that winning could help legitimize the team’s current identity, he added, “If they win, all of a sudden the Commanders sounds good. But I wouldn’t have changed the name.”
The Washington franchise had dropped its previous name in 2020 and temporarily operated as the “Washington Football Team” before officially adopting the “Commanders” name in 2022. Despite ongoing discussions among fans and some public figures, team leadership has emphasized that changing the name again is not under consideration.
Remarks on Stadium Deal and Federal Oversight
Trump’s comments came after hosting Commanders owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the Oval Office, where they announced that the 2027 NFL Draft would be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The discussion turned to the team’s stadium plans — particularly a proposed new facility near the site of the former RFK Stadium, within D.C.’s city limits. The deal still requires approval from the D.C. Council, which has expressed concern about nearly $1 billion in projected taxpayer costs tied to the redevelopment.
Commenting on the deal, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens. Looking at the deal, you know, I don’t blame them. They’re very important pieces of property. It’s a great piece of property.”
While the federal government recently transferred control of the land to the District of Columbia, Trump maintained that “the federal government ultimately controls it” and added that he would assist the NFL if needed: “If I can help them out, I will.”
Context: Sports Team Names and Cultural Sensitivity
The Commanders are not the only professional sports team to rebrand in response to concerns about the use of Native American imagery and language. Major League Baseball’s Cleveland franchise, for example, changed its name to the Guardians in 2021 for similar reasons.
Though debates around cultural representation in sports continue, Trump’s remarks have added another layer of national attention to the Commanders’ ongoing evolution, both in name and infrastructure.