President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to place the kibosh on the Washington Commanders’ bid for a brand new stadium in D.C. if the NFL franchise doesn’t restore its racist nickname.
Trump’s menacing is correct out of his playbook to strong-arm those that seem to defy him, after musing earlier that the three-time Tremendous Bowl champions ought to change their identify again to a moniker that’s thought of offensive. Trump claimed there was a “big clamoring” for the change, together with by Native People.
“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump claimed on Reality Social earlier than his bullying started.
“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 Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone,” he continued.
The Commanders are pursuing a $3.7 billion proposal now being weighed by the D.C. Council to construct a brand new stadium on the website of the previous RFK Stadium, The Washington Put up reported. The land is owned by the federal authorities.
One puzzled native politician downplayed Trump’s unsportsmanlike conduct.
“As far as I know, people are generally satisfied with the name Commanders, and I haven’t heard a single suggestion that the council should condition the deal for a new stadium on a name change,” D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) instructed the newspaper. The generations-old crew scrapped its earlier identify in 2020 and have become the Commanders in 2022.
As for what sort of restriction Trump may impose, Mendelson replied, “I don’t know what the restriction would be.”
In April, crew managing companion Josh Harris, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell introduced the plan for the crew to return to D.C. from its present stadium in close by Landover, Maryland.
The crew’s entrance workplace has stated reverting to the previous nickname just isn’t being thought of.
Trump additionally referred to as for the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to take a racist step again in time and rechristen themselves the Cleveland Indians. “MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!” he wrote.
