Trump demands Commanders, Guardians restore old names, threatens to derail D.C. stadium deal

President Trump said he may move to block the Washington Commanders' new stadium as he called on the NFL team and also MLB's Cleveland Guardians to restore their old names. The big picture: The Commanders changed their name from the Washington Redskins and the Guardians from the Cleveland Indians in the wake of an anti-racism movement that swept the U.S. after the 2020 murder of George Floyd and following years of activism and protests against the monikers that many Native Americans considered offensive.The Commanders had urged the D.C. Council to get the RFK Stadium redevelopment approved or risk Trump's intervention, per Axios' Cuneyt Dil. The president can influence the NFL stadium project due to the power of the White House and through federal design commissions, Dil notes.Driving the news: "The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team," Trump said in a Sunday post to Truth Social."Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past," he said."Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen," added Trump, without providing evidence.Zoom in: In a later post, Trump said he "may put a restriction" on the Commanders "if they don't change the name back."I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington," he added.Trump went on to attack Matt Dolan — a former state senator who's the son of the late Cleveland Guardians owner Larry Dolan, whom AP reports is no longer involved with the team.What they're saying: Chris Antonetti, the Guardians' president of baseball operations, said in a media statement he hadn't paid much attention to the matter of changing the team's name back."But I would say generally, I understand that there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago," Antonetti said. "Obviously it's a decision we've made and we've gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future."Representatives for the Commanders, Guardians, NFL and MLB did not immediately respond to Axios' Sunday evening requests for comment.

Comments

World news

The pandemic drove up inflation. How come, years later, we're still paying more?

National Post

Comments

Similar News

‘Like something you see in a movie’: Trump cuts stir fears of more pipeline ruptures

Brazil’s unlikely rallying point against Trump: digital payments

Trump’s immigration audit blitz piles paperwork on to US companies

New tools that Brussels isn’t yet ready to use on Trump

Most Americans say Trump focuses too much on tariffs, survey shows

Donald Trump’s Tariff Dealmaker-in-Chief

Stellantis swings to loss as Trump tariffs hit maker of Fiat and Jeep

Trump ‘named twice’ to FBI by Epstein accuser as president peddles Gabbard’s Obama conspiracy: Live

Trump posts AI video of Obama being arrested after Gabbard’s coup claims: ‘No one is above the law’

Maga has called a ceasefire on Trump Epstein claims – but it won’t last long

How Trump's game-planning for the 2026 midterms

Most Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, survey shows

A look at President Trump's foreign policy 6 months into his second administration

Venezuela Targets Economists as Inflation Surges Under Trump’s Sanctions

High-level talks held on support for Ukraine a week after Trump said Europe will pay for weapons

Nato allies seek details on Trump’s new Ukraine support pledge

High-level talks held on support for Ukraine a week after Trump said Europe will pay for weapons

‘Everything here is just better’: Ellen DeGeneres confirms she moved to the UK because of Donald Trump

Trump’s $50bn tariff haul

How Trump’s Tariffs and Foreign Policies Have Bolstered Support for the E.U.

World news

The pandemic drove up inflation. How come, years later, we're still paying more?

Manslaughter investigation launched after British woman dies while rafting in French Alps

Dog the Bounty Hunter’s teen step grandson killed by his dad in accidental shooting: report

Cave explorer trapped after being hit by fallen rocks 130 feet underground

‘Putin wants us to panic’: How Russia has amped up its aerial strikes on Ukraine

JD Vance to spend summer vacation in UK countryside spot beloved by A-listers after Disney disaster: report

Palestinians queuing for aid in Gaza describe terrifying moment soldiers opened fire, killing 73

Air India plane drama as jet veers off runway during landing in Mumbai

At least 16 dead after fighter jet crashes into school in Bangladesh

Inside the federal government’s purge of climate data

Cutting five words from this law could make houses cheaper

The 4 groups set to struggle financially in retirement – and what to do about it

The worst exercises for your joints, and what to do instead

PIP claimants wrongly denied £260m in benefits after DWP errors

Most Americans say Trump focuses too much on tariffs, survey shows

Altman plans D.C. push to "democratize" AI economic benefits

Vietnam races to prepare for Typhoon Wipha as Philippines suffers storm deaths

Delta pilot makes ‘aggressive maneuver’ to avoid midair collision with military jet

Inside Russia’s suicide drone factories as Putin ramps up weapon production to pound Ukraine

Trump ‘named twice’ to FBI by Epstein accuser as president peddles Gabbard’s Obama conspiracy: Live

Trump posts AI video of Obama being arrested after Gabbard’s coup claims: ‘No one is above the law’

Alaska Airlines grounds all flights after IT outage sparking travel chaos for thousands of passengers

Delta airline pilot forced to swerve to avoid colliding with bomber plane

What is going on with Alaska Airlines? Everything we know

Plans for £1,200,000,000,000 city stretching 105 miles just got a heck of a lot less ambitious

I wish I’d married for money. At 50, I’m burnt-out and resentful

Maga has called a ceasefire on Trump Epstein claims – but it won’t last long

Chatting with bots could rewire the youngest brains

Most Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, survey shows

How Trump's game-planning for the 2026 midterms

Wary Democratic establishment keeping New York's Mamdani at arm's length

Public media funding cuts threaten access to emergency alerts and local news

Israel launches ground assault on central Gazan city, says charity

Canadian leaders descend upon Ontario cottage country for high stakes meetings

More than 90 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while seeking food, Gaza officials say

Jake Larson death: World War II veteran and TikTok star dies aged 102

Long Island man wearing 9kg-metal necklace dies after being sucked into MRI machine

Swearing is what stops my family becoming physically violent

Pope Leo XIV marks 56th anniversary of moon landing with observatory visit, call to Buzz Aldrin

Ecuador extradites leader of violent Ecuadorian drug gang to the United States

Guatemala denies that Chilean green-card holder was deported from the United States

High-level talks held on support for Ukraine a week after Trump said Europe will pay for weapons

Turkey's president says his support for a two-state deal on ethnically split Cyprus is absolute

Japanese PM stays on to tackle high inflation, US tariffs despite a key election loss

Burlesque dancer trapped in house set on fire begged for help in last phone call

Man's sick game that killed fiancée leaving blood-soaked baby toys

UK fighter jet stuck in India for five weeks is finally ready to fly

Landslides and Floods Kill 18 in South Korea

High-level talks held on support for Ukraine a week after Trump said Europe will pay for weapons

I’ve worked on BBC documentaries – but UK visa rules mean I can’t join my wife

Louise Minchin: A remote Tuscan walking holiday with my daughters was a delight

If I marry, will my grown-up children lose their inheritance?

I’m the only woman on an all-male team and I get zero respect

How I Manage My Money: Father, on £2k a month in London, who moved from Nigeria

My son died alone at 28. Ten years on, I’ve found a way to live with my mistakes

The Tottenham star who has already given Thomas Frank a headache

The 10 worst accent attempts in film and TV history