‘Nobody likes this’: Trump’s culture war intrusion threatens to derail Washington Commanders stadium deal

President Donald Trump’s recent demand for the Washington Commanders to return to their old “Redskins” name has created new tensions in the ongoing stadium deal negotiations in Washington, D.C. The team is currently in talks to build a new stadium at their former field location in the District.

According to People, the stadium deal, which includes at least $1 billion in D.C. taxpayer subsidies, was progressing through negotiations between city officials and the team before Trump’s intervention. The plan involves moving the team from their current location at Northwest Stadium in Maryland to a new facility in D.C.

“We’re actively in the middle of negotiations,” said Christina Henderson, a city council member. “We’re exchanging paper right now. This is just not helpful for either side. Nobody likes this.” Henderson has previously expressed concerns about certain aspects of the deal.

Trump’s intervention raises concerns about federal interference

While Mayor Muriel Bowser continues to support the deal regardless of the name controversy, some council members have taken a firmer stance. Charles Allen, a prominent critic of the stadium deal, suggested that support among council members would significantly decrease if the team followed Trump’s demands to restore the old name.

The team changed its name in 2020 during the social justice movements following George Floyd’s death. At that time, D.C. officials and members of Congress had made it clear that a stadium deal would not be possible while the team kept its former name, which is considered offensive to Native Americans.

Progressive activists opposing the stadium project, including Adam Eidinger, see Trump’s intervention as an opportunity to delay the deal. Eidinger, who leads a push for a ballot initiative to forbid a new stadium, believes the land should instead be used for housing to address D.C.’s high cost of living.

The situation has created uncertainty about the deal’s future, though the Commanders’ owner has stated earlier this year that the name would not change, with team ownership firmly rejecting Trump’s demands. While the stadium would be built on federal property that Congress agreed to lease to D.C., the deal doesn’t require presidential approval. 

However, Trump could potentially create obstacles, though his administration has faced significant legal challenges when overstepping authority through his appointees on oversight boards or by attempting to break the federal lease with the District.