Sports
Trump Wants Pro Sports Teams To Follow His Playbook
What’s going on: The Washington Commanders rebranded themselves in 2022 after retiring their old name — the Redskins — following years of criticism that it was racist and derogatory toward Native Americans. Now, President Donald Trump wants to turn back the clock. On Sunday, he posted on Truth Social that “The Washington Whatever’s should IMMEDIATELY change their name back,” claiming (without evidence) that there’s a “big clamoring for this” and that “our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen.” He doubled down yesterday, threatening to upend the team’s plans for a new stadium in Washington, DC, if they don’t comply. Trump also called on MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to go back to their old name, the Indians — a move the team has said it’s not interested in.
What it means: Both teams ditched their decades-old brands after the racial reckoning that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Trump wants to undo that, along with other diversity efforts, arguing that “times are different now.” He’s also pushed to restore some Confederate statues and building names that were removed. Still, some analysts say his focus on team names is a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein fallout now dogging his administration. And while Trump has threatened to derail the Commanders’ stadium plans, it’s unclear whether he actually has the power to do so.
Related: Stephen Colbert Just Fired Back at Trump With These Three Words (Variety)
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