WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — President Donald Trump once again lamented changing the Washington Commanders’ team name Wednesday, even after new team majority owner Josh Harris suggested the current name will remain.

During an unrelated executive order-signing event in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump referred to the former team name as “superior,” while discussing the changing of sports team names related to Native Americans.

“Washington, the Redskins, perhaps, that’s a little different, a little bit different. But I can tell you that I spoke to people of Indian heritage that loved that name and they loved that team, and I think it’s a much, you know, I think it’s a superior name to what they have right now, and it had heritage behind it, it had something special,” President Trump said.

Trump’s comments came after Washington began exploring potential name changes in 2020. At the time, the president — during his first term — said the effort appeared to be based on political correctness.

Outside the Commanders’ team store at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., lifelong fan Justin Choo said he wouldn’t mind the name change.

“I like Commanders, but, I’m a bit of a traditionalist so, I don’t mind the Redskins. I mean, I grew up following the Redskins back in the nineties, so, I don’t know, it could be either,” Choo said.

Before the end of the team’s success last season, reaching the NFC championship, 58% of people polled by the Washington Post in April 2024, in conjunction with George Mason University’s Schar School of Government and Policy, said they disliked the Commanders’ name.

“I started calling them ‘Commanders’ this past season when they came and took command. Now they’re worthy of that name. It made a big difference,” Jill Williams, a self-described lifetime fan of the team, said. “For now. I don’t think they need to change it again, unless they’re going back to ‘Redskins.'”

It’s unlikely the president’s comments will reach the red zone and prompt a return of the previous team name.

Commanders majority-owner Josh Harris signaled no name change during the team’s season-ending press conference in February.

“I think it’s now being embraced by our team, our culture, our coaching staff, and so, we’re going with it,” he said.

DC News Now reached out to the Harris ownership team for comment after Trump’s latest comments on the team name Wednesday, but did not hear back in time for publication.