White House confirms Donald Trump is serious about threats for Washington Commanders to change name back to Redskins

by: Nick Geddes • 7 hours ago • NickGeddesNews

President Donald Trump called for the Washington Commanders — previously known as the Redskins — to revert back to their former name. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump threatened to hold up the deal for a new football stadium in Washington should the team not go back to the Redskins name.

One day after Trump made the threat, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to reporters. She confirmed that the president’s comments were not a joke.

“The president was serious,” Leavitt said Monday, via the Associated Press . “Sports is one of the many passions of this president. He wants to see the name of that team changed.”

Earlier this year, the Commanders announced their plans to build a new stadium. The organization plans to build the stadium on the site of RFK Stadium, the team’s home venue from 1961 to 1996. The new stadium would be near the Anacostia River, along East Capitol Street in Washington’s Hill East neighborhood.

The project is estimated to cost $3.7 billion and begin construction in 2026. It is expected to be completed in 2030. While the project hasn’t encountered too much friction until now, the plans are still pending approval by the D.C. Council, with legislation introduced June 25. Now, Trump is getting involved.

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