“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this. Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past. Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them,” Trump said in a post to his Truth Social platform.
“Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!” Trump continued.
The Washington football franchise changed its name from the Washington Redskins to the Commanders after decades of criticism about its name and logo. The term “Redskins” has long been used as a slur toward Native Americans. The team used the “Washington Football Team” as a temporary placeholder before settling on the Commanders as a permanent name.
The Washington football franchise was under pressure to drop its name from key corporate sponsors in 2020 including FedEx, Pepsi, and Nike, all of which were threatening to pull their support.
The Guardians similarly dropped their former name in 2020 due to increasing pressure and criticism from fans and indigenous groups regarding their use of Native American imagery and the name “Indians” itself. The term is considered offensive and a stereotype.
A year before the team dropped its name, the Cleveland franchise announced it would be retiring its mascot, Chief Wahoo, a cartoon caricature of a Native American that was seen as outwardly offensive.
TRUMP AGAIN THREATENS DC’S HOME RULE: WHAT TO KNOW
Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the Guardians’ name change at the time as well.
“Oh no!” Trump tweeted in 2020. “What is going on? This is not good news, even for ‘Indians’. Cancel culture at work!”
