Donald Trump’s recent election victory over Kamala Harris has triggered an unexpected movement within the NFL community, specifically among Washington Commanders fans. With the 78-year-old poised to return to the White House, many fans are calling on the president-elect to intervene in the ongoing debate over the team’s name, urging a return to their controversial original moniker—the Washington Redskins.
Following the announcement of Trump’s win, social media platforms lit up with posts from fans demanding that the franchise revert to its former name. The outpouring of nostalgia and frustration reflects a desire to undo what many perceive as unnecessary political correctness.
The Washington Commanders, formerly known as the Washington Redskins, have undergone significant rebranding efforts in recent years. The team was known as the Redskins from 1937, when they moved from Boston to Washington, D.C., until 2020, when then-owner Dan Snyder bowed to public pressure and officially dropped the name, which had long been considered offensive to Native Americans.
The name change in 2020 was part of a broader cultural shift amid nationwide discussions on racial justice. Initially, the franchise adopted the temporary name “Washington Football Team” before eventually settling on “Commanders” in 2022. Despite the rebranding, a vocal portion of the fanbase has continued to push for a return to the original name, and Trump’s election has reignited those calls.
One fan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to write, “Donald Trump should force the NFL to rename them to the ‘Redskins.’” Another fan chimed in during the early hours of Wednesday morning, asking, “Can we start calling Washington the Redskins again tomorrow?” Others echoed similar sentiments, with posts such as, “It’s time we bring back the Washington Redskins,” and, “Can we change the name back to the Redskins now?”
The desire for a return to the team’s old identity was palpable, with some fans also advocating for the return of the Cleveland Indians name, another controversial sports moniker that was dropped in favor of the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.
One user even shared an image of a man peering from behind a curtain, captioned, “Me checking to see if we can call Washington the Redskins again yet…” Such posts underscore the hope among certain fans that Trump’s presidency could somehow influence the NFL’s naming decisions.
In 2023, a Native American group even called on the Commanders to revert to their previous name in an effort to “put an end to cancel culture.” However, it’s important to note that the Washington Commanders, now under new ownership, are a private entity, and as president or president-elect, Trump has no official authority over their decisions regarding branding.
The new ownership group, led by Josh Harris, took over the team in 2023 following Dan Snyder’s tumultuous tenure, which was fraught with controversies, including the decision to change the team’s name.
The franchise’s former name and logo were among the many points of contention during Snyder’s ownership, and the name change in 2020 came at a time of heightened racial tension in the United States, following the George Floyd protests.
Amid calls for social justice, sponsors threatened to pull their support unless the name was changed. This, coupled with mounting public pressure, led Snyder to abandon the Redskins name, marking the end of an era for the storied franchise.
Under the new ownership of Josh Harris, who also owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the Commanders have been trying to build a new identity. However, a clause in the NFL allows a team to rebrand sooner than the standard five-year waiting period if new ownership takes over.
This loophole has fueled hope among fans that the team’s name could change once again, possibly reverting to the Redskins moniker that many longtime supporters still cherish.
The original name, the Redskins, dates back to the team’s origins in Boston, where then-owner George P. Marshall initially considered calling them the “Braves” before opting for his second choice due to the existence of Boston’s National League baseball team. Over the years, the term “Redskin” has faced significant backlash, with many arguing that it is inherently derogatory towards Native Americans.
A 2016 article by The Washington Post noted that the term was first used as a pejorative as early as 1863, in a Minnesota newspaper that announced a bounty on Native Americans. The term’s controversial nature is evident in its evolution, with Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defining “redskin” as “often contemptuous” by 1898.
Despite this, a 2016 Washington Post poll found that 90 percent of the 504 Native American respondents were “not bothered” by the team name. Snyder used this study to defend his decision to keep the name at the time, though the survey was criticized by many journalists and social scientists as unreliable and flawed. In contrast, a 2020 study conducted by UC Berkeley found that more than half of the 1,000 Native American respondents were offended by the name, further illustrating the divided opinions on the issue.
The team’s decision to change its name was also influenced by legal challenges. In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that a trademark law barring disparaging terms infringed upon free speech rights, which had implications for the Redskins’ trademark.
Before this ruling, the United States Patent and Trademark Office had attempted to revoke the Redskins’ trademark, arguing that it was a racial epithet. These legal and cultural pressures ultimately contributed to the name change.
In the years since the rebranding, the Commanders have taken additional steps to distance themselves from the past, including banning fans from wearing headdresses to home games. Despite these efforts, nostalgia for the original name persists among a segment of the fanbase, and Trump’s victory has emboldened them to renew their calls for a return to tradition.
Ultimately, while the movement to bring back the Redskins name has gained momentum in the wake of Trump’s election, the decision lies solely with the team’s ownership. The NFL and the Commanders are likely to weigh the potential backlash against any rebranding against the desires of a portion of their fanbase.
Whether or not the team reverts to its old identity remains to be seen, but the debate over the name is far from over, and it highlights the enduring tension between tradition and progress in the world of sports.
