Trump ramps up pressure on Commanders, Guardians team owners to change nicknames
President Donald Trump implored the owners of the NFL’s Washington Commanders and MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to revert to the organizations’ old nicknames in a social media post.
Daniel Snyder changed Washington’s team name from the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team before the start of the 2020 season amid a summer of racial tensions. The team eventually became the Washington Commanders, and Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris.
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In July 2021, team owner Paul Dolan announced the Cleveland Indians would become the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland had been known as the Indians since 1915. Dolan previously said the decision to explore the name change came from "an awakening or epiphany" after the death of George Floyd.
Regardless, the push to keep Native American team names has been strong, particularly with the Commanders’ organization. Trump already expressed his belief that the Commanders made a mistake when they changed the name from the Redskins.
"The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. "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. 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!!!"
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Harris said on Fox News Channel’s "Special Report" in April that the team would not bring back the Redskins name even with plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C.
"The Commanders’ name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building," Harris responded to Bret Baier’s question about the Redskins name coming back as part of this new stadium deal. "So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they're ranked.
"And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we're in a military city here. There's more military personnel than anywhere else, so we're kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back."
Guardians team officials have made no indication that the old name would return.
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