Commanders’ owners may have to “kiss the ring” to keep Trump happy
Since President Donald Trump threatened to derail the Washington Commanders’ new stadium plan, the owners are reportedly “worried”.
President Donald Trump is determined to restore cultural insensitivity to the United States, and no sports team will be spared. He recently went on a tangent about how the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians should change their names back to what they were before - the Redskins and Indians.
The names were changed out of respect to Native Americans, but Trump has it in his mind that “our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this [the name changing back] to happen.” He even went so far as to threaten to suspend construction of the Commanders’ new stadium if they don’t bring back the original name and logo. And the owners are reportedly concerned.
Stephen A. Smith on Donald Trump calling for the Washington Commanders to return to being the Redskins: "I think that the president's being petty. I think it's him being evasive... it's just him catering to his base to make sure that he serves to appease them in some way, to… pic.twitter.com/5qRLqelo2T
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 21, 2025
Commanders owners fear Trump could torpedo stadium deal
According to the New York Post, the Washington Commanders’ owners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, are growing concerned that Trump could derail their proposed $3.7 billion stadium deal unless they restore the team’s former name.
“They’re really getting nervous about Trump’s attacks and how they might impact the stadium deal,” said a source with direct knowledge.
As the stadium project is being planned on federal land in Washington, D.C., Trump threatened to block it completely if they don’t abandon the “ridiculous moniker, Washington Commanders”. The stadium project depends on approvals from various U.S. agencies, some of which could be influenced by a future Trump administration.
While Harris and Blitzer have publicly maintained they’re keeping the current name, insiders say they’re worried Trump could mobilize public opinion or slow approvals behind the scenes, especially given his track record of pressuring companies over “woke” policies.
An anonymous sports executive said the owners may be forced to “bow and kiss the ring”, saying they’ll have to “grovel before Trump relents”.
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