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Trump mixes sports and politics with Commanders name fight

6 1
23.07.2025

President Trump has reignited the debate over the Washington Commanders team name, the latest example of the president using sports in his second term to expand his influence and impact on culture.

Trump upended what appeared to be a settled issue when he threatened to use the power of the presidency to hold up the Commanders’ plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C., if the team did not revert to the Redskins name it retired in 2020.

While it came as a surprise to local leaders and team officials, it was yet another instance of Trump wading into sports for political purposes.

“Sports is one of the many passions of this president, and he wants to see the name of that team changed,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. “I think you’ve seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not. He’s a nontraditional president.”

The president has hosted championship hockey and baseball teams at the White House in his first six months in office. He has attended the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl, college wrestling championships, Ultimate Fighting Championship events and the FIFA Club World Cup championship.

Trump met in the Oval Office with members of Italian soccer club Juventus and the Boston Red Sox, taking credit when the latter team went on a winning streak after the meeting. The president also was at the center of an announcement that Washington will host the NFL draft in 2027. He was joined by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Commanders owner Josh Harris.

One source close to the White........

© The Hill