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The owners of the Washington Commanders are reportedly alarmed by the growing pressure from President Donald Trump to restore the team’s former Redskins name, fearing it could jeopardize a proposed $3.7 billion stadium deal.
According to The New York Post’s Charles Gasparino, insiders close to owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer say the duo “fear” they may have to align with Trump’s demands in order to avoid complications with building a new stadium on federal land in the nation’s capital.
Gasparino wrote that Harris and Blitzer — who also own the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils through Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment — are privately warning business associates that the White House holds significant leverage over the project.
The pressure escalated after Trump posted last week:
“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.”
Trump has repeatedly mocked the team’s current name, recently referring to the franchise as the “Washington Whatevers.”
Since the post, Harris and Blitzer have grown increasingly concerned that Trump’s administration could derail the stadium plan. While the D.C. government, led by Mayor Muriel Bowser, has agreed to contribute about $1 billion to the stadium deal, final approval remains dependent on several federal agencies.
Gasparino reported, “Much of the stadium deal involves working with the decidedly woke DC government run by left-wing mayor Muriel Bowser. The deal has no direct federal funding, with DC agreeing to cover about $1 billion of the cost.”
However, the stadium site sits on federal land leased to the District for 99 years. This means any construction project would require clearance from agencies such as the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — both of which include Trump-appointed officials — as well as environmental approval from federal departments under the Trump administration.
“Behind the scenes, they say they are parsing all the ways Trump could screw things up for them,” Gasparino wrote.
One source familiar with the situation told The Post, “They’re really getting nervous about Trump’s attacks and how they might impact the stadium deal.”
Another unnamed sports executive, reportedly close to Trump, suggested that Harris and Blitzer may need to appease the president even if a name change isn’t formally mandated.
“He may not ultimately try to kill the stadium deal if they don’t change the name but Harris and Blitzer are going to have to grovel before Trump relents,” the executive said.
A press representative for Harris-Blitzer Sports and Entertainment did not return a request for comment, according to Gasparino.
On the football side, the Commanders are in their second week of training camp and will open the preseason next Friday with a road matchup against the New England Patriots. Kickoff is scheduled...
