Washington DC - Two Native American groups spoke out against President Donald Trump's threat to block the construction of a new NFL stadium unless the Washington Commanders return to their old, racist name.

"The President's recent remarks about bringing back offensive Native 'themed' team names are a distraction from the real harm his administration continues to inflict on Native Peoples," the Association on American Indian Affairs said in a statement posted to Facebook.

"You can't claim 'Indians are being treated very unfairly' while cutting Native healthcare, threatening Medicaid for Native children, defunding Tribal colleges, firing staff who serve Native programs, and opening Sacred places to industry."

The blistering response comes after Trump's repeated calls for the Washington Commanders NFL team to return to their previous name, the Washington Redskins.

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The Commanders changed their name and logo in July 2020 after decades of pushback against a mascot that many considered racist and demeaning to Indigenous communities.

Over the weekend, Trump upped the ante on his anger about the name change by threatening to block the building of a new football stadium in Washington DC.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) called the threat "an affront to Tribal sovereignty" in a press release posted on its website and shared on social media.

"Any attempt to distract by invoking our names and purporting to speak for our communities is an affront to Tribal sovereignty and is not taken lightly," NCAI President Mark Macarro was cited as saying in the statement.

"For seventy-five years, NCAI has held an unbroken voice: Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society."