Trump sparks fury with push to revive racist NFL team name
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By linking a stadium deal to the return of a slur-laden team name, Trump has drawn sharp criticism for using Native identity as a political bargaining chip.
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US President Donald Trump walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington (AP)
Two prominent Native American organizations sharply criticized US President Donald Trump on Monday for urging Washington, D.C. officials to restore the former “Redskins” name to the city’s NFL team, a move he has hinted he might link to approval of a new stadium deal.
In a series of posts on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump claimed there is “a big clamoring” for the Washington Commanders, the name adopted in 2022, to revert to its old moniker. He also declared that “our great Indian people” want the name brought back and suggested Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians should also return to their former name, the Indians.
The Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) swiftly condemned the remarks, stating, “These mascots and names do not honor Native Peoples, they reduce us to caricatures.” The group stressed that “Native Nations are sovereign, contemporary cultures who deserve respect and self-determination, not misrepresentation.”
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) also weighed in, calling efforts to restore the name “an affront to Tribal sovereignty.” NCAI President Mark Macarro reiterated the organization’s longstanding opposition to race-based mascots, “For seventy-five years, NCAI has held an unbroken voice: Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society.”
A name retired after years of controversy
The Washington football team officially retired the “Redskins” name and logo in 2020 following decades of public pressure and backlash from Native American groups. Critics had long argued the term was a racial slur, not a tribute. The original branding, used since 1933, featured a red-faced Native American man wearing feathers and was widely viewed as a racist stereotype.
In 2022, the franchise rebranded as the Washington Commanders, moving away from all Native American imagery. The name change was part of a broader reckoning across US sports with the legacy of racist mascots and cultural appropriation.
Though Trump holds no formal authority to approve or block a stadium deal, he could try to exert influence through federal oversight of Washington, D.C. Under the city’s home-rule charter, Congress, currently Republican-controlled, retains power to override local decisions and potentially tie federal funding to political or cultural demands, though it rarely exercises that authority.
New stadium contingent on name change
The Commanders, based in Landover, Maryland, since 1997, have reached an agreement to return to D.C., with a new stadium expected to open by 2030. Trump has floated the idea of making the team’s name change a condition of supporting the project.
While many Indigenous organizations oppose any return to the old name, Trump did receive support from the Native American Guardians Association, a group with a history of advocating for the preservation of Native-themed sports branding.
In a statement, the group said, “The Native American Guardians Association stands with the President of the United States in the call to return common sense and sanity back to our nation,” adding that “virtually all Americans, to include American Indians, are fed up with cancel culture.”
Despite this support, the overwhelming majority of Native advocacy organizations continue to oppose the name, citing its historical roots in racism and its role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
Broader implications for US sports
The Commanders, currently valued at $6.3 billion according to Forbes, remain one of the NFL’s marquee franchises, with three Super Bowl titles.
However, they are far from alone in this controversy. Other US sports teams, including MLB’s Atlanta Braves, the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, have resisted calls to change their Native American-themed names and logos, fueling ongoing debates over racism and representation in sports culture.
As of now, neither the White House, the Washington Commanders organization, nor the NFL has issued any official comment on Trump’s remarks.
