President Donald Trump called on the owners of the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their previous team names, arguing the changes disrespected Native American heritage and public sentiment.
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In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the names "Redskins" and "Indians" should be restored, claiming there is widespread support for doing so.
"The Washington 'Whatevers' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote. "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!!!"
The Commanders, previously known as the Redskins since 1933, dropped the name in 2020 amid nationwide racial justice protests. Then-owner Daniel Snyder rebranded the team as the Washington Football Team before officially adopting the Commanders name in 2022. Snyder sold the franchise to Josh Harris in 2023.
In April, Harris told Fox News Channel's Special Report that the organization would not return to the Redskins name, even as plans for a new stadium in Washington, D.C. move forward.
"The Commanders name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building," Harris said. "We're kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back."
In Cleveland, team owner Paul Dolan announced the Guardians name change in 2021, ending more than a century under the Indians nickname. Dolan said the decision came after what he described as an "awakening or epiphany" following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Guardians officials have not suggested any plans to reverse the rebrand.
While the name changes were praised by some as a step toward cultural sensitivity, opposition has remained vocal, particularly among groups who argue the original names honored, rather than demeaned, Native American identity.
