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The President Drops Hammer On ‘Woke’ Sports Teams

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Washington Commanders player rushing
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President Donald Trump reignited debate over professional sports’ shift toward “woke” rebranding, calling for the Washington Commanders to restore their former name, the Washington Redskins.

The president used his Truth Social platform to urge the NFL franchise to abandon its recent identity overhaul and return to the historic name that had defined the team for over eight decades.

“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” Trump posted. “There is a big clamoring for this.”

His push for a name change also extended to Major League Baseball’s Cleveland franchise, which abandoned its long-running “Indians” name in 2021.

“Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past,” he wrote.

“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,” he noted. “We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”

The Washington NFL team, once known as the Redskins since 1933, began distancing itself from the name in 2020 amid widespread cultural upheaval following the George Floyd riots.

Under then-owner Dan Snyder, the organization relented to mounting pressure from corporate sponsors, particularly Fred Smith, the now-deceased founder of FedEx and a minority stakeholder in the team.

Smith’s FedEx brand held the naming rights to the team’s stadium and was influential in the push to retire the Redskins name.

The team spent two full seasons as the Washington Football Team before unveiling its new identity as the Commanders in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland baseball franchise, which had been known as the Indians since 1915, adopted the Guardians moniker in 2021 after facing similar activist and corporate pressure.

Despite the backlash that led to these name changes, polling has indicated that a large majority of Native Americans did not find the Redskins name offensive.

A 2016 survey conducted by the Washington Post found that 90% of 504 self-identified Native American respondents across the United States were not offended by the use of the term “Redskins.”

Despite Trump’s push, both franchises have publicly committed to their current branding, insisting that the new names reflect evolving values and have been embraced by their fans and communities.

Josh Harris, owner of the Washington Commanders, indicated earlier this year that the team had no plans to reverse course.

“I think it’s now embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff. So we’re going with that,” Harris told reporters in early 2025.

Harris also tied the Commanders’ recent success to its current NFL identity.

After finishing 12-5 and making it to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season, he credited the name with gaining meaning within the organization.

“The name Commanders means something,” Harris said. “It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.”

In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Harris explained that the name had taken on unique significance inside team headquarters.

“The Commanders’ name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building,” Harris said.

“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.”

He also pointed to the team’s proximity to military institutions as a source of pride in the Commanders name.

“The business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we’re in a military city here,” Harris added.

“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,” he concluded.

Despite that sentiment, Trump issued a second post later that day hinting that the team’s stadium plans could face hurdles if the name wasn’t changed back.

“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump wrote.

“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 Commanders are deep in negotiations with D.C. officials over plans to construct a new stadium on the site of the old RFK Stadium.

Late last year, Congress granted administrative control of the site to the city government, paving the way for Mayor Muriel Bowser to push redevelopment forward.

Trump also referenced the Cleveland baseball team and its owner Matt Dolan, a Republican politician who has made several unsuccessful runs for U.S. Senate.

“The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone,” he remarked. “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 noted.

“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)!”

While Matt Dolan has never held ownership of the Guardians, his brother Paul Dolan serves as the team’s principal owner.

Matt Dolan has served in both the Ohio House and Senate, but failed in GOP primaries for U.S. Senate in both 2022 and 2024, losing to J.D. Vance and Bernie Moreno, respectively.

Team President Chris Antonetti was quick to respond to Trump’s statement.

“Not something I’m tracking or paying a lot of attention to, but I would say generally, I understand there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago,” Antonetti told The Athletic.

“But it’s a decision we made and we’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and we’re excited about the future that’s in front of us.”

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