The football team Washington Redskins changed its name to Washington Commanders more than three years ago. Now US President Trump wants to undo this and threatens the club. He also has a baseball team in mind.
US President Donald Trump urges the NFL team Washington Commanders to accept his old name again. You should immediately back up your name in Washington Redskin’s Football Team, the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The football team had separated from his name Redskins (redskins) years ago after criticism from American indigenous people and has been called Commanders since 2022.
“Will not make a deal for you”
Trump threatens the club. “I may impose a restriction if you do not back up the name in the original name Washington Redskins and get rid of the ridiculous nickname Washington Commanders.” And further: “I will not make a deal for the construction of a stadium in Washington.”
Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden signed a law in January of this year, according to which the area of the demolition tires Robert-F.-Kennedy stadium in Washington is transferred to the District of Columbia. This had created the prerequisite for building a new stadium in the same place.
The name Redskins is associated with crimes in the indigenous population in US history. Leading organizations for the rights of indigenous peoples reject the name Redskins, including the National Congress of American Indians, the Association on American Indian Affairs and Cultural Survival. However, at least one group, the Native American Guardian’s Association, the name Redskins and the “respectful use of Indian names and pictures in sport, in education and in public life” supports at least one group.
Trump is also bothered by Cleveland Guardians
A name recovery also calls for Trump from the baseball team Cleveland Guardians, which used to be called Cleveland Indians. Trump claimed that times were different than three or four years ago. Years ago, the death of African American George Floyd triggered a racism debate in a police operation in the United States and led to a stronger thinking about monuments and changes in the name.