What to know about Trump’s call for the Commanders, owned by 76ers’ Josh Harris, to revert to previous name or risk $3.7B stadium deal

President Donald Trump demanded Sunday that the Washington Commanders revert to their previous name in a series of social media posts, threatening to block a $3.7 billion stadium deal if they don’t.

The NFL team has been owned by Josh Harris, who also owns the 76ers, since 2023. Harris’ sports and venue management company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, cofounded with investor David Blitzer, will own and operate Philadelphia’s new WNBA team, set to make its debut in 2030.

A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately comment on the president’s posts.

In response to pressure from investors, corporate sponsors, and advocacy organizations, the NFL franchise opted to drop its previous name in 2020 because it was a word that many consider a slur against Native Americans.

The team’s name and logo had been a point of controversy for decades, with Native American leaders calling for a change since the 1970s.

After two seasons of competing as the “Washington Football Team,” the franchise officially unveiled its new name, logo, and uniforms in 2022.

In a series of posts uploaded to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump called for the Commanders to “IMMEDIATELY” revert to their previous name, saying “there is a big clamoring for this.” He also demanded that the Cleveland Guardians return to their former name, which was also considered offensive by Native American groups.

“Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen,” he wrote in a post Sunday. “Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense.”

“OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!,” he added.

In a later post, the president threatened to block the Commanders’ proposed $3.7 billion stadium project in Washington, D.C. if they don’t “get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders.’”

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

Trump told reporters earlier this month that he “wouldn’t have changed the name” in response to a question about the stadium project.

“It doesn’t have the same ring to me. But you know, winning can make everything sound good. So if they win, all of a sudden, the Commanders sounds good, but I wouldn’t have changed it,” he said.

The Commanders’ proposed 65,000-seat stadium would sit on federal land, at the site of the old Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. An act passed by Congress in January transferred ownership of the site to the city for 99 years, giving D.C.’s City Council control over the project. It is unclear how Trump would block the deal.

Members of the council have yet to approve a redevelopment plan. They are set to hold public hearings later this month.

Harris told the Washington Post in April that, “without exaggeration, this will be the best stadium in the country when it’s built.”

This isn’t the only big arena deal Harris has been involved with lately. The 76ers recently struck a deal to remain in South Philly after abandoning a contentious proposal to build an arena in Center City.

Earlier this year, Harris told reporters that the new moniker has been “embraced” by the team.

“Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates,” Harris said. “That name is growing in meaning”

And the new name seems to have grown on fans. Although an April 2024 Washington Post-Schar School poll concluded that only 34% of local sports fans said they liked or loved the name, that number rose to 53% by May 2025.

Staff writer Jeff Neiburg contributed reporting.