ASHBURN, Va. – Virginia is reportedly back in the running for the Washington Commanders’ new stadium after a deal in Washington, D.C., stalled, a situation now directly impacted by President Donald Trump, who has made federal approval of the site conditional on the team reverting to its former name.
An exclusive negotiation window between the team and Washington, D.C., for a new stadium at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium site expired July 15 without a city council vote. WUSA9 reports the delay has reopened the door for both Virginia and Maryland to re-engage with the NFL franchise.
The D.C. Council has scheduled public hearings on the project for July 29 and 30, but the project now faces a significant obstacle from the White House.
In a post on his Truth Social website, President Trump made his administration’s approval of a deal for the federally-controlled RFK site conditional on a name change.
“They must change the name back to the original Washington Redskins,” Trump wrote, “or I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.”
As president, Trump has the executive authority to block any lease or sale of the federal land required for the project.
The Commanders organization adopted its current name in 2022 after years of controversy over a name considered offensive by Native American groups and has stated it has no plans to revisit the change.
With the D.C. plan facing a direct political roadblock, the possibility of the Commanders building their next home in Virginia has been significantly renewed.
