President Trump said on Sunday he would support changing the Washington Commanders’ name back to the Redskins but suggested that, should the team started winning more, he could get on board with the current name.
In a gaggle with reporters, Trump was asked whether he thinks the team should change the name back to Redskins, the controversial name that was dropped in the wake of the racial-justice protests in 2020.
“You want me to make a controversial statement? I would,” Trump said to the reporter.
“I wouldn’t have changed the name,” he continued. “It just doesn’t have the same, 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 the name,” the president added.
In July 2020, the team announced it was retiring the Redskins’ and logo after an internal review. For nearly two years, the football team was known as the “Washington Football Team,” and, in February 2022, the team rebranded as the Commanders.
The name has been controversial with many fans, leading to some calls for it to be changed back. A Washington Post poll in April found a majority of fans were not happy with the name.
However, Commanders owner Josh Harris shot down the prospect in February.
“I think it’s now embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff. So we’re going with that,” he said at a press conference.
