WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser remains confident that the Commanders will return to the city, but steered clear of President Donald Trump's threats to scuttle a stadium deal if the team does not return to their former name.

The deal for the Commanders to return to the city has reached a precarious point, still needing the D.C. Council to approve the deal. The Council will hold hearings on the topic on July 29 and 30, but there is not yet a vote scheduled. It's possible they vote during while on recess within the next several weeks, one source said.

But the President threw a big curve into matters Sunday when he posted on social media about his desire for the Commanders to return to their former name as a stipulation for building a new stadium on federal land in the district. Congress has leased the land to the city for the next 99 years.

"This is what I believe," Bowser told ESPN late Monday afternoon during an interview in her office. "I've had the opportunity to speak on a couple of different occasions with the President about this site and about our team. And I can say this without equivocation, he is a Jayden Daniels fan and he said himself and the presser we were at, that this is probably the best site of any site he's seen for a stadium. I have to think that that's what I've heard him say and that's what we'll stick with."

The Commanders and city officials held a press conference on April 28th to announce their $3.7 billion deal. The team is contributing $2.7 billion. The city plans to also build retail shops, housing and a sports complex on the 174-acre property. The organization moved from the RFK site, their home from 1961-96, to Landover, Md., at the start of the 1997 season.

The 13-member D.C. Council still needs to approve the deal. According to a team official close to the situation, the Commanders are intent on opening the new stadium in 2030 in part because they want to host the Women's World Cup. They fear if the deal isn't approved until the fall it could impact their timeline.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president's comments were not a joke.

"The president was serious," Leavitt told reporters Monday while answering questions on the White House driveway. "Sports is one of the many passions of this president and he wants to see the name of that team changed."

Leavitt called Trump a "nontraditional president" and said sports fans are behind him on this.

"I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not," Leavitt said. "He's a nontraditional president. He likes to see results on behalf of the American people and, if you actually poll this issue with sports fans across the country, and even in this city, people actually do support the president's position on this and the name change."

Bowser once said their former name would be an obstacle toward getting a stadium built in the district. A number of council members, one source said Monday, would not have agreed to a deal in the past under the former name.

Commanders owner Josh Harris said after the season that they are not changing the name back and will stick with Commanders. Numerous team sources since that time have said nothing has changed in that regard.

But, Monday, Bowser said that they've moved "beyond that" topic.

"Let me be clear, we're on the 1-yard line and it's time to get over the line," she said. "I can't even imagine having to start all over on this. There's nobody waiting in the wings with $2.7 billion. And so this stadium is a catalyst and it will attract other investments. Any impediment to it getting done should be discouraged. When you're on the 1-yard line, you want to carry it over, right? That's all you want. No fumbles, no interceptions, let's just get it over the line. And that's what we're focused on."

It's uncertain what steps Trump could take to force a change. But Bowser remained upbeat about being able to get the deal completed without the president or congress intervening.

"Listen, I don't think that's an eventuality we have to plan for," she said. "What we have to do as a city is do our part. And so our part is we've come up with a great deal, we have a great plan, we've done the community outreach, now is time for the council to approve it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.