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Trump threatens to hold up stadium deal over Washington name change

Trump threatens to hold up stadium deal over Washington name change

Mr Trump also said that he wants Cleveland's baseball team to revert to its former name, the Indians, saying there was a 'big clamouring for this' as well.
The Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have had their current names since the 2022 seasons and both have said they have no plans to change them back.
Mr Trump said the Washington football team would be 'much more valuable' if it restored its old name.
'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,' Mr Trump said on his social media site.
His latest interest in changing the name reflects his broader effort to roll back changes that followed a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice.
The team announced it would drop the Redskins name and the Indian head logo in 2020 during a broader reckoning with systemic racism and police brutality.
The Commanders and the District of Columbia government announced a deal earlier this year to build a new home for the football team at the site the old RFK Stadium, the place the franchise called home for more than three decades.
Mr Trump's ability to hold up the deal remains to be seen. President Joe Biden signed a bill in January that transferred the land from the federal government to the District of Columbia.
The provision was part of a short-term spending bill passed by Congress in December. While DC residents elect a mayor, a city council and commissioners to run day-to-day operations, Congress maintains control of the city's budget.
Josh Harris, whose group bought the Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023, said earlier this year the name was here to stay.
Not long after taking over, Mr Harris quieted speculation about going back to Redskins, saying that would not happen. The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Trump's statement.
The Washington team started in Boston as the Redskins in 1933 before moving to the nation's capital four years later.
The Cleveland Guardians' president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, indicated before Sunday's game against the Athletics that there were not any plans to revisit the name change.
'We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously it's a decision we made. We've got the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that's in front of us,' he said.
Cleveland announced in December 2020 it would drop Indians. It announced the switch to Guardians in July 2021. In 2018, the team phased out 'Chief Wahoo' as its primary logo.
The name changes had their share of supporters and critics as part of the national discussions about logos and names considered racist.
Mr Trump posted on Sunday afternoon that 'The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn't understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!'
Matt Dolan, the son of the late Larry Dolan, no longer has a role with the Guardians. He ran the team's charity endeavours until 2016.
Matt Dolan was a candidate in the Ohio US Senate elections in 2022 and 2024, but lost.
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It's great to be here, I love standing on the soil of Scotland, Trump says
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Rhyl Journal

time5 minutes ago

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It's great to be here, I love standing on the soil of Scotland, Trump says

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It's great to be here, I love standing on the soil of Scotland, Trump says
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South Wales Guardian

time5 minutes ago

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It's great to be here, I love standing on the soil of Scotland, Trump says

Ian Murray told the PA news agency what the US President's first words were after disembarking from Air Force One in Prestwick. The UK Government minister was the first person to greet the president in Scotland as he begins his visit to the country. Speaking after meeting the American leader, Mr Murray told PA: 'The president came off the flight, and I said, 'Mr president, welcome to Scotland – the home country of your dear mother', and he said, 'It's great to be here, I always love standing on the soil of Scotland'. 'I said, 'I hope you're looking forward to a bit of downtime with some golf this weekend', and he said, 'Yes'. And I said, 'Well, we've whipped up a bit of a wind for you to make it a bit more competitive', and he went, 'I'm looking forward to it'.' Mr Murray said Mr Trump was given a warm reception as he got off his presidential plane. Hundreds gathered on the Mound overlooking Prestwick Airport for the president's arrival. A Trump flag was flown while a few spectators wore 'Make America Great Again' hats, although many of those attending were locals and aviation enthusiasts, including some who had travelled from England. Mr Murray said: 'Spotters hills, as it's called, where all the plane spotters come to Prestwick, was absolutely full. 'You could see that from the tarmac and as Air Force One came in, people were snapping away on their photographs. 'To see all that happening is quite a spectacle in itself. 'It's really good to have that kind of focus on Scotland.' Mr Trump will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his trip to discuss the UK-US trade deal as Britain hopes to be spared from the president's tariff regime. The Scottish Secretary said: 'Really, the purpose of this weekend, the purpose of greeting the president off the plane, the purpose of the Prime Minister's relationship with the president is to build that close relationship, to make sure that that old alliance is nurtured, and to do that for the benefit of the national interest, which is about jobs and growth here in the UK, and particularly Scotland.' Mr Trump will meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney during his trip as he opens a new golf course in Aberdeenshire. Before flying to Prestwick, Mr Trump said in Washington that he was 'looking forward' to meeting Mr Swinney, describing him as a 'good man' – the same phrase he used for the Prime Minister after landing in Scotland. Asked about the president's relationship with the UK, Mr Murray said: 'The Prime Minister has taken a very pragmatic approach to the relationship with the president of the United States, because it's in our national interest to do so, whether it be on defence, security, trade, cultural, historic ties. 'It's a historic alliance, and that alliance has to be nurtured and continue through to the future, because it's quite clear that our relationship with United States is good for jobs and growth here in Scotland and across the UK. 'The Prime Minister knows that, and knows that working very closely with the US is in our national interest.' Asked about protests, which are expected across the country, Mr Murray said people had a right to demonstrate, adding: 'Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom to protest is a key cornerstone of both countries, America and the UK, and the right to be able to protest if they so wish to so.'

Ian Murray reveals what Donald Trump said to him on the Prestwick tarmac
Ian Murray reveals what Donald Trump said to him on the Prestwick tarmac

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Ian Murray reveals what Donald Trump said to him on the Prestwick tarmac

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