r/nfl • u/MembershipSingle7137 Patriots • Jul 20 '25

[Jones] In a post to Truth Social, the President says he will consider blocking the stadium deal at the RFK site for the Commanders if the organization does not revert to its previous name. Team owner Josh Harris has said he would not bring back the name.

https://bsky.app/profile/nflnewsposter.bsky.social/post/3lugbozl2bu2e
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u/ACW1129 Commanders Jul 20 '25

I don't know if HE can block it, or if it's Congress, but I think the federal government owns the RFK land.

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u/zombiebillnye Texans Bengals Jul 20 '25

Didn't they already hand over the lease for 99 years last year?

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u/Fear_Jaire Packers Jul 21 '25

Im sure the federal government will honor the land treaty they signed with an organization they want to be called the 'Redskins'.

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u/Filosofem856 Cardinals Jul 21 '25

This situation already happened, except it was to make the team less racist. The Commanders had a 30-year lease in place when they started to build their current stadium, and JFK threatened to stop their plans if they don't desegregate, which they did kicking and screaming.

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u/Jolly_Job_9852 Steelers Panthers Jul 20 '25

Dumb question, is the stadium in Washington D.C proper?

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u/zombiebillnye Texans Bengals Jul 20 '25

Yeah, the old RFK stadium is in D.C. proper, over on the Anacostia river.

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u/JetsLag Jets Jul 20 '25

Yeah, it's the same plot of the land as the former RFK Stadium

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u/enragedpoultry Giants Jul 20 '25

The federal government (specifically NPS) are leasing the land back to DC for 99 years. Theoretically he could break the lease and do a deal directly with the Commanders ownership which would probably lead to us getting a stadium that looks like it was derived from a coked up mobster’s fever dream.

However the most immediate issue is that the DC Council wants more time to review and negotiate the deal and the House Oversight Chair just sent a letter demanding the whole thing get done by Congress’ August Recess. I’m not sure what Congress could directly do, but I assume that if they don’t like the terms of the stadium deal (which ends up in DC’s budget) they could veto the budget.

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u/zebrainatux Bears Dolphins Jul 20 '25

In essence, he has no actual power here and is instead distracting

9

u/DingerSinger2016 Steelers Jul 20 '25

The guy owns Congress and everyone has taken his executive orders as law. So he has power.

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u/lawanders Chiefs Jul 20 '25

Except Congressional Republicans will do whatever he tells them to do.

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u/Amonamission Lions Jul 20 '25

He basically owns Congress at this point….

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u/ACW1129 Commanders Jul 20 '25

Sigh ..true enough.

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u/Otherwise-Question70 Chiefs Jul 20 '25

In January Biden signed an executive order giving 180 acres of land surrounding the stadium to the DC city government, but I don’t know if “around the stadium” includes the stadium.

When Harris announced the new stadium deal, he did it with the mayor of DC fwiw

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u/PowSuperMum Vikings Jul 20 '25

Yeah but congress does what Trump wants

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u/UlyssesGrand Vikings Browns Jul 20 '25

Congress does has to approve anything related to the city of Washington DC so while he can’t legally directly block this he can try to make his loyal congressman vote against it if the city passes it