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- Trump lacks clear path to block Washington Commanders' stadium deal over team name</p>
<p>Joey Garrison, USA TODAYJuly 22, 2025 at 4:47 PM</p>
<p>WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump has long flexed the power of the White House to insert himself into unconventional areas ‒ from the type of sugar in Coca-Cola to renaming the Gulf of Mexico.</p>
<p>Yet Trump appears to have limited options to carry out his new threat to block the Washington Commanders' stadium deal proposed for the District of Columbia.</p>
<p>To truly jeopardize the project, the president would probably have to get creative.</p>
<p>Trump suggested he might halt the stadium deal ‒ which would have the team return to the site of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in D.C. ‒ unless the Commanders adopt its former name, the Redskins. The team has played in Landover, Maryland since 1997.</p>
<p>More: Trump threatens Washington Commanders' stadium plans if franchise doesn't change name</p>
<p>Like any other private company, however, the Commanders organization gets to choose its name. Washington retired the name Redskins in July 2020 amid nationwide protests over race, initially becoming the Washington Football Team for two seasons, and then rebranding as the Washington Commanders in 2022.</p>
<p>Trump can't unilaterally scrap the team's stadium deal for D.C. because Congress passed a law in December that transferred ownership of the RFK stadium site from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia. The $3.7 billion stadium deal, which includes $1.1 billion in local taxpayer funds, is in the hands of the D.C. Council, which is nearing a vote on the project.</p>
<p>"The president can say what he wants, but the law is clear. D.C. has full power over that site," said Ankit Jain, who serves as one of D.C.'s two elected shadow U.S. senators. "There are certain conditions that D.C. has to meet ‒ and none of them are, 'what is the name of the team.'"</p>
<p>President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the NFL Draft in the Oval Office of the White House on May 05, 2025 in Washington, DC.Ways Trump could try to impede stadium deal</p>
<p>Trump called for the Commanders to go back to its original name in a July 20 social media post that also pushed for the Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Indians, to bring back its old name. "There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote, adding in a subsequent post that he "may put a restriction on them" if the Commanders keep their name and "won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington."</p>
<p>Trump has no role in signing off on the stadium project. But because of D.C.'s unique status as an enclave of the federal government, the president could potentially find ways to try to impede the deal.</p>
<p>Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has authority over the D.C. Although the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act gave the city local governance with an elected mayor and city council, Congress still has a 30-day review of all legislation passed by the D.C. Council and retains authority over the district's budget.</p>
<p>That arrangement could give Trump an opportunity to rally Republicans in Congress to block the stadium legislative package during the review period after the deal passes the council.</p>
<p>A view of the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium, defunct and currently under demolition, in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2025.</p>
<p>In addition, a memorandum of understanding between D.C. and Trump's Interior Department would be required to address environmental hazards with the RFK site. And the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission ‒ which includes three Trump appointments and three Republican members of Congress ‒ must sign off on final stadium designs. Both hurdles could present Trump moments for intervention.</p>
<p>More: Native Americans rail against Trump's call to change Commanders' name back.</p>
<p>Trump has also shown a willingness in other political battles to threaten federal funding from states, cities, colleges and universities to get his way. Would he be willing to do the same to D.C. over the Commanders name issue?</p>
<p>"I don't think this is a serious threat," Jain said of Trump's demand that the Commanders adopt its old name. Instead, Jain suggested Trump raised the issue as "a distraction" from the the backlash the president has faced for his handling of the government's files involving wealthy financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.</p>
<p>"I don't think it's something that he's going to really follow up on, and there's very limited ability for him to do do anything there," Jain said.</p>
<p>Truly loyalist in Congress has helped pave way to stadium</p>
<p>The White House insists Trump isn't kidding around.</p>
<p>"The president was serious," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters July 21, pointing to Trump's reputation as a dealmaker. "As part of the 'art of the deal,' part of his negotiating skills, as you know, sports is one of the many passions of this president and he wants to see this team's name changed."</p>
<p>When asked to explain Trump's authority to block the Commanders' stadium deal, a White House official directed USA TODAY to the comments from Leavitt, who did not address how Trump could execute his threat.</p>
<p>More: Trump 'serious' about blocking Washington Commanders relocation to DC, White House says</p>
<p>Convincing Republicans in Congress to block the stadium deal if the council approves the legislation could be a tough sale, even for Trump.</p>
<p>Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., a Trump ally and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, worked to get the land transfer of the RFK site through Congress and is a vocal supporter of the project. In a July 17 letter to the D.C. Council's chairman, Comer urged the council to approve the stadium deal no later than August and expressed disappointment in delays that have held up a vote.</p>
<p>"The federal government transferred administrative control of this valuable property with the clear expectation that the D.C. Council would act decisively to maximize its potential," Comer wrote.</p>
<p>Commanders, DC mayor stay quiet on Trump</p>
<p>Longtime Washington owner Daniel Snyder in 2023 sold the team to a new ownership group led by billionaire investor Josh Harris, who has elected to keep Commanders as the name and has called the debate settled. The team just completed its most successful season in decades, capped by an appearance in the NFC championship game.</p>
<p>The Commanders and Harris have not issued a formal statement on Trump's remarks. Commanders General Manager Adam Peters, addressing reporters on the first day of training camp Tuesday, said the team isn't focused on the stadium situation.</p>
<p>"We really just try to focus on what's going on in here and getting ready for the season," Peters said.</p>
<p>More: Commanders are focused on football, not Trump's stadium threats</p>
<p>Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who helped orchestrate the stadium deal, deflected when a reporter asked her Monday whether she believes Trump has the power to block the Commanders' stadium deal.</p>
<p>"I think the thing that we should focus on in D.C. is doing our part," Bowser said, adding that the council still needs to give the green light. "We need to complete our part."</p>
<p>Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris before the game against the Miami Dolphins at FedExField in Landover on Dec. 3, 2023.</p>
<p>Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has often talked about taking over the governance of D.C., a city he has long derided for crime and homelessness. Nevertheless, Trump hosted Bowser and the Commanders' Harris at the White House in May to announce Washington's National Mall would host the 2027 NFL Draft.</p>
<p>Trump never mentioned the Commanders name during the announcement</p>
<p>In fact, more than a decade ago, Trump had a very different take in 2013 when then-President Barack Obama said the Redskins should consider changing the team name to something less offensive.</p>
<p>"President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems!" Trump wrote on Twitter at the time. "FOCUS on them, not nonsense."</p>
<p>Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump has limited ways to block Washington Commanders' stadium deal</p>
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