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Washington Commanders executives are reportedly afraid they will have to restore the Redskins nickname or possibly face President Donald Trump hampering their D.C. stadium deal in some way.
The organization has recently come under fire from Trump for not restoring the name in a series of Truth Social posts earlier this month. The New York Post reported on Wednesday that team owners Josh Harris and David Blitz have warned business associates that the White House “does indeed have some leverage” over their plans to build a stadium on the old RFK Stadium site.
The stadium is on federal land leased to the D.C. government for at least the next 99 years, the New York Post noted. The D.C. Council is set to vote on a revised bill that would allow the Commanders to build the stadium, chairman Phil Mendelson said last week.
The $3.7 billion project would receive $1 billion in public funding a $2.7 billion from the organization itself.
The New York Post reported that Trump may “use his control of the administrative state to extract concessions.” A source warned to the outlet that Harris and Blitzer may have to “grovel before Trump relents” if they ultimately don’t decide on changing the name.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Commanders for comment.
Trump put the pressure on the Commanders, and the Cleveland Guardians – calling both organizations out in two posts made on Truth Social.
“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump wrote on social media. “I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone.”
The president added that the Guardians should follow suit.
D.C. COUNCIL SET FOR AUG. 1 VOTE ON UPDATED COMMANDERS STADIUM PLAN
“Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians. The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change,” Trump added. “What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”
It was the second time in one day that he made his demands.
“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past.
“Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”
Mendelson suggested to 106.7 The Fan in D.C. on the “Grant & Danny” show he would have “no problem” with a potential name change.
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“He suggested the past DC opposition of the team moving back into the city while named Redskins had more to do with Dan Snyder than the name,” radio host Grant Paulsen wrote about Mendelson. “Suggested he would have no problem with DC welcoming the team back with the name Redskins now.”
Harris has been adamant about keeping the Commanders’ name going. Hae said on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” in April that the team would not bring back the Redskins name even with plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C.
“The Commanders’ name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building,” Harris responded to Bret Baier’s question about the Redskins name coming back as part of this new stadium deal. “So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they’re ranked.
“And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we’re in a military city here. There’s more military personnel than anywhere else, so we’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back.”
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