Latest news with #RFKStadium
The Australian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Australian
Trump demands Washington Commanders change name or lose stadium deal
A proposed new $US3.7 billion ($5.67b) stadium for the NFL Washington Commanders is under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to scuttle the deal without a team nickname change. The former Washington Redskins, who dropped the controversial nickname many saw as racist in 2020, adopted Washington Football Team before rebranding to the Commanders in 2022. Trump said he wants to see the team restore the old nickname and called upon Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old nickname of Indians in weekend social media posts. '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 posted. The Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium which is planned to be turned into a new stadium for the NFL's Washington Commanders. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP Washington's City Council is studying plans before voting on final approval for a deal struck by the club and Mayor Muriel Bowser to build a new 65,000-seat domed venue on the site of RFK Stadium, the club's former home before it moved to the Maryland suburbs. Asked Monday about Trump's threat, Bowser said a name change by the club would not alter her support of the deal. Instead, she ripped the council for delays on approving the stadium deal that would rely on about $1.1 billion in taxpayer funds. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work so that local businesses can get hired so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders' stadium,' Bowser said. Phil Mendelson, chair of the DC Council, said in a statement that Trump's threat would not push the council's timeline for considering all aspects of the deal, including at a hearing next week. 'I am focused on getting the best deal for District taxpayers and getting the deal across the finish line,' he said. 'I have heard from no — zero — District residents complaining about the name change or saying this is an issue in connection with the stadium.' The RFK Stadium site for the proposed new stadium is on federal land but US lawmakers gave control of the site to the city last year. Trump, who said the team would be more valuable by reverting to its prior nickname, could impact the deal through US federal committees that approve DC construction projects. Read related topics: Donald Trump
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington Commanders new stadium: D.C. Mayor Bowser concerned about RFK deal
While the Washington Commanders hope to one day make the RFK Stadium site home again, it's the D.C. Council that is playing games on that famed plot of land. Nothing ever comes easy in politics, especially when the nation's capital is involved. The case involving the Commanders is no different as budget battles and political one-upmanship are on full display – setting up a fight between Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council, with the team caught in between. On July 1, the mayor appeared on The Team 980 with Kevin Sheehan, where she was asked about her feelings surrounding the deal, which has not yet been approved. "I'm concerned right now that everybody buckle down and get to work," Bowser said. "I'm not concerned about our deal. Our deal is solid. It pays off for D.C. And at the end of the day, I think everybody wants the same thing." Sheehan pushed Bowser to put her level of concern on a scale of zero to five, with five being the most concerned. "I would put my level of concern – because when you're a big city mayor you're concerned about everything – I'll put it at a four," Bowser said. The Commanders have been targeting a stadium opening date in 2030, allowing them enough time to host some big events in the future – notably games in the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup. Without approval soon, the team claims those plans will be put in danger, forcing the D.C. area to miss out on those marquee dates. As illustrated in the current deal that was announced on April 28, the city would provide $1.1 billion in public funds to help build the stadium on the old RFK site. The Commanders would contribute $2.7 billion in what figures to be a nearly $4 billion project. Washington's team leadership held a dinner on Monday night for councilmembers to discuss the situation, which needs seven votes to approve. According to the Washington Post, there are currently four councilmembers in favor of the deal. There is currently a July 15 deadline in place as outlined in the exclusive negotiating window. With public hearings set for July 29 and 30, it appears the council is in no rush to move the legislation forward. More importantly, the council is slated to go on recess from August until mid-September, meaning no deal on the intended date could put the project in danger of falling apart. Fox 5 Washington DC reported on July 1 that Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has heard talks of a potential Plan B from the Commanders, which could include going to President Donald Trump and members of Congress to make the deal happen in time. This comes on the heels of a decision by Mendelson to separate the stadium deal from the 2026 budget process. A Commanders spokesperson released a statement in response to the news on June 25: The Washington Commanders are committed to working with the Council around the clock to keep this project on schedule and deliver a world-class stadium for the District by 2030. This is about more than just a stadium: it's an investment in families, local workers, and long-term economic opportunity that will transform this community, District, and the region. Any substantive delays will jeopardize D.C.'s ability to attract premier concerts, global talent, and marquee events—including the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup. Most importantly, it will slow new jobs at a time when the District needs them the most. We are hopeful the Council will continue to work in an expedited way to approve this deal and deliver a significant win for the people of D.C. Mendelson has indicated there will be no vote while the council is on recess, which could delay the project's fate until September or later. "It would be incredibly extraordinary to call the Council back in August," Mendelson said, via NBC4 Washington. 'I can't think of one time in 50 years of home rule that we have called the Council back." He also would not commit to a vote in early September. "I'm not gonna budge from this, and that is that we are working well with the Commanders and as diligently as possible to try to get to a point where the Council can vote as quickly as possible," Mendelson continued. The Commanders franchise left the RFK Stadium site in 1996 for FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland – where they still currently play home games at what is now known as Northwest Stadium. While there is no indication that the Commanders would leave and relocate to another city like other NFL teams have done when faced with similar issues from local officials, there is always a chance they could opt for another site in the surrounding area. Maryland, where the Commanders currently play, and Virginia have shown interest in a new stadium for the team in the past. For now, the goal remains focused on making the return to RFK a reality. All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Commanders new stadium: Washington D.C. mayor concerned RFK site deal
Washington Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
What Trump can (and can't) do about the Commanders' name, RFK Stadium deal
For years, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has sought to return the Washington Commanders to the District. The Democrat worked with a Kentucky Republican to get control of the RFK Stadium land through Congress, with a surprise unanimous vote in the Senate in the 11th hour. She brokered a $3.7 billion deal with Commanders owner Josh Harris, representing the largest private investment in a single project in city history.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Trump threatens to block stadium build over name
President Donald Trump has threatened to block a deal for the Washington Commanders' new stadium if the American football team does not revert back to their original US president said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday that a "big clamouring" exists for the "'Washington Whatever's" to change back to the "Redskins" and claimed it would make the team "more valuable".The NFL team dropped the name 'Redskins' in July 2020 after a review as it was long considered racist and offensive to Native Americans. They were called the 'Washington Football Team' during the 2020 season before changing to the Commanders in April, a deal was agreed for the Commanders to build a new $4bn (£3bn), 65,000-seater stadium at the site where RFK Stadium - their home from 1961 to 1997 - still week, DC Council were urged to speed up approving the stadium, external plans by a top Republican wrote: "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."In February this year, Trump made history when he became the first sitting president of the USA to attend the Super Bowl as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. Trump also urged Major League Baseball side the Cleveland Guardians to change their name back to the Cleveland Indians, having changed it in 2021."Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen," Trump said. "Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them."Guardians team president Chris Antonetti told The Athletic: "Not something I'm tracking or paying a lot of attention to."But I would say generally, I understand there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago. It's a decision we made and we've gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and we're excited about the future."
CNN
20-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump threatens to restrict stadium deal with Washington Commanders if they don't change name back to ‘Redskins'
President Donald Trump on Sunday escalated his call for the Washington Commanders to change their name back to the 'Redskins,' threatening to restrict the NFL team's stadium deal if they don't, though it's unclear how he would be able to. '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,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. The organization left Washington for Landover, Maryland, in 1997, but DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team announced a deal in April to bring the Commanders back to the district at the site of the old Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Trump touted the deal at the time, but the proposal is stalled before the DC Council. Speaking to reporters last week, Bowser urged the DC Council to 'make moves' on the deal, adding that 'the Commanders are anxious' about it. Trump expressed openness earlier this month to helping out if the DC Council does not approve the deal. 'It's a great piece of property, so we'll see. But if I can help them out, I would. … The federal government ultimately controls it,' Trump said. In late 2024, lawmakers in Congress passed a bill to transfer ownership of the RFK site from the federal government to the district's government. 'The owner is very, very successful and a very good man,' Trump continued. 'It would be a great place for the NFL to be there, I can tell you that.' Earlier Sunday, the president initially referred to the football team as the 'Washington 'Whatever's'' and urged the owners to 'IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team.' CNN has reached out to the Commanders and the DC mayor's office for comment on Trump's posts. Trump's Sunday comments went further than ones he made earlier this month, when he told reporters the Commanders' name should be changed back to the Redskins, something he acknowledged was a 'controversial statement.' 'It doesn't have the same ring to me,' he said. '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 it.' The Commanders aren't the only team moniker Trump wants reverted. Trump also put the pressure on the Cleveland Guardians to change their name back to the 'Indians,' claiming that the 'Indian people' want the Guardians to be the 'Indians' yet again. The names were changed as part of a larger cultural shift as corporate brands reexamined their use of racist caricatures and stereotypical names, but Trump argued Sunday that 'times are different now.' 'Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them,' Trump said. 'Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!' And in a later post Sunday, Trump claimed Matt Dolan, a former Ohio state lawmaker whose family owns the Guardians, '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)!' Trump added, a riff on his 'Make America Great Again,' or MAGA, slogan. CNN has reached out to the Cleveland Guardians for comment. The Washington football team dropped the 'Redskins' name in 2020 after decades of criticism from Native American groups that said it was an ethnic slur and a derogatory reference to skin color. Two years later it unveiled the 'Commanders' name. The Cleveland baseball team announced its name change in 2021, after similar criticism from Native Americans over the 'Indians' moniker.
