Republican threatens to hijack funding for football team unless it revives racist logo

The Washington Commander’s name change from the Redskins is triggering Republican Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who said he would refuse to fund the team until they change the name back, Forbes reported.

Native Americans had protested the Redskin’s name for about 50 years, the Washington Post recalled amid the name change. In July 2020, multinational corporations known for sponsoring sporting events joined the demand. At one point, even Nike pulled the Redskins merchandise from its website.

But Daines is threatening to block funding for a badly needed new stadium unless the controversial name returns.

“Washington played home games at RFK Stadium from 1961-1996 before moving to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Rushed to completion under previous owner Jack Kent Cooke, that stadium has not aged well in the decades since,” the Associated Press reported last year.

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But Daines is refusing to allow anything to move forward until he gets what he wants: the Commanders to change its name and restore the logo. The initial logo came from a designer who was also a member of the Blackfeet Nation.

The son of the man who designed it died at 74 in 2023, but he and Daines had formed a friendship.

In a statement, Daines said he would hold up any legislation about the stadium until the NFL and the team agree to work with the designer’s family to “honor the history of the logo and heritage of our tribal nations and rededicate the organization as an advocate for Indian Country.”

Daines has been supportive of Native issues while working with tribal communities for clean water access and a “truth-and-healing commission” to investigate forced education for Native youth by religious institutions. That said, Daines was also opposed to the appointment of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to run the department.

Read the full report at Forbes.