Jack White of The White Stripes Slams Trump Over Redskins Name Flip-Flop
Summary
- Jack White, co-founder of The White Stripes, criticized Donald Trump over conflicting tweets about the Washington Commanders name.
- Trump previously told people to ignore the name debate, then later urged a return to the Redskins branding.
- White called the contradiction part of a pattern of lies and warned about ignoring leaders with unchecked power.
Jack White, known for his work with The White Stripes and a long solo career, is calling out former President Donald Trump over two contradictory posts about the Washington NFL team’s name.
Trump’s tweets, shared years apart, show a clear reversal. In 2013, he told the public that the President should not interfere with the team’s name.
“President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name, our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense,” Trump posted on October 8, 2013.
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On July 20, 2025, he posted something very different:
“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team.”
White reacted strongly on Instagram, criticizing Trump’s inconsistency and the public’s reaction to it. He wrote:
“The people who have supported this professional liar, egomaniac conman all these years will all pretend they never did once he’s gone. You can show them visual proof of his lies and they shrug their shoulders and change the subject cause they know in their hearts that they support a grifting fascist would-be-king and can’t really defend it.”
He continued, expressing concern about Trump’s influence and potential danger:
“It is so embarrassing as an American that this country gave this clown the keys to the White House. I don’t think the people of this country really understand that this man has the nuclear codes and his finger on the button and could literally end humanity at any given moment all based on his personal ego. How could we be that glib about something so dangerous?”
White, who often speaks out about political and social issues, used the moment to point out what he sees as a larger pattern. The contradiction in Trump’s tweets, according to White, is just one example among many.
The debate over the team name itself has gone on for years. The franchise changed its name from the Redskins to the Washington Football Team, then later to the Commanders. These decisions were made following years of pressure from Native American groups and sponsors who considered the original name offensive.
Trump has long voiced support for keeping the original name, often using the issue to criticize what he calls “political correctness.”
White’s comments are part of a growing trend of artists and public figures using their platforms to challenge political figures directly. While some fans see it as necessary commentary, others see it as stepping into divisive territory.
Why the Washington Team Changed Its Name
The original name, Redskins, had been used by the team since 1933. For decades, it sparked criticism from Native American groups, scholars, and civil rights organizations, who argued that the term was a racial slur rooted in violent colonial history.
Pressure to rebrand intensified in 2020, when protests following George Floyd’s death led many institutions to reevaluate names, mascots, and symbols tied to racism. Corporate sponsors like FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo urged the team to act, and some threatened to pull funding. With its stadium bearing the FedEx Field name, the financial risk became too large to ignore.
In July 2020, the franchise announced it would retire the Redskins name and logo. The placeholder name, Washington Football Team, was used temporarily through the 2021 season while the organization developed a new identity. In early 2022, they officially became the Washington Commanders.
Team owner Daniel Snyder, who had once said he would “never” change the name, ultimately approved the change under pressure from sponsors and public backlash. Years later, new ownership took over in 2023, led by a group including Josh Harris and Magic Johnson.
Despite the change, the topic remains controversial. Some fans supported the move as long overdue. Others saw it as caving to public pressure. Trump was among those who spoke out against the change, calling it part of “cancel culture” in multiple statements over the years.
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