Washington – President Donald Trump prefers the opponent’s controversial name of Washington’s commanders, he told the journalists on Tuesday night.
The conservative of Radio de Virginia, John Fredericks, asked the president if an agreement for a new stadium of commanders at the RFK stadium site, in federal lands on which the Government gave DC control, depends on restoring the previous name of the team, which many consider racist. While Trump’s response did not belong to the stadium agreement, he shared his preference for the old name of the team.
“The Indian population is a large part of this country, a great inheritance,” Trump said.
He brought other teams with names derived from Native Americans, such as Kansas City chiefs, and another that changed his name: the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball.
“When you return to the Indians, they have told us that they do not know why these names are being removed,” Trump said.
The president also suggested that these name changes insult the Native Americans.
“I think it is degrading for the Indian population, and it is a large population,” Trump said. “And they like when they are called by several names. Now, Washington, the Redskins, maybe that is a bit different, a little different, but I can tell you that I talked to the people of the Indian inheritance and love that name and love that team … I think it is a name superior to what they have now. I had their inheritance behind; he had something special.”
The critics asked the former owner of the commanders Dan Snyder to change the name for years, saying that it is offensive to the Native Americans. Snyder said he would never change the name, but after the public’s pressure and the main sponsors of the team such as Fedex and Nike to change the nickname, the team announced an “thorough review” in the name and logo of the team in July 2020. Ten days later, the team announced that it would withdraw the name.
The team played 2020 and 2021 seasons as the Washington football team. Then, in February 2022, the team revealed its new name and logo.
The current owner Josh Harris inherited the brand of the commanders when the group of owners he directs bought the Snyder team in 2023.
Neither the office of Mayor Muriel Bowser nor the team have commented on Trump’s comments.
Harris has previously said that there will be no name change.
