Donald Trump has called for the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians to revert to their former names, which were dropped after years of criticism for being offensive to Native Americans. The president wrote on social media that Native Americans 'in massive numbers' want the names back, but both teams have moved on and Trump has little leverage to force a change.
The Washington NFL team, now known as the Commanders, dropped its previous name in 2020 after decades of pressure, playing temporarily as the 'Washington Football Team' before adopting the current name in 2022. The Cleveland Guardians abandoned their 'Indians' moniker the same year. Both teams have enjoyed recent success: Washington reached the NFC championship last season, and Cleveland has been competitive for years despite a World Series drought stretching back to 1948.
Trump has hinted he could block the Commanders from moving back to Washington DC from their current stadium in suburban Maryland unless they change back. However, a bill signed by Joe Biden before leaving office transferred the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the DC city government, limiting Trump's options. The Guardians have already stated they will not revert to 'Indians'.
RFK Stadium, where the Commanders played from 1961 to 1996, is now derelict but offers good transport links and historical significance, named after Robert F Kennedy. Their current home, Northwest Stadium, is widely considered charmless and poorly connected. Any move back to DC would require cooperation from the city government, which Trump could pressure indirectly but not easily control.
Fans and analysts see Trump's intervention as a distraction tactic, similar to his past attacks on sports teams and athletes. The teams are unlikely to comply, and the controversy seems unlikely to gain traction beyond Trump's base.
