Uncategorized
21 Jul, 2025
Victoria Flores
In a series of public statements, President Trump has urged the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians to revert to their former team names, which were widely considered to be offensive to Native Americans. He has even gone so far as to suggest that a new stadium deal for the Washington team could be jeopardized if they do not comply with his demand.
The president has claimed that his stance is supported by a significant number of Native American people who, he says, feel that their heritage is being "systematically taken away from them." However, this claim is in direct opposition to decades of research and activism by Native American groups and leaders. The National Congress of American Indians and other organizations have long campaigned for the retirement of such mascots, citing psychological research that shows they reinforce racial bias and have a negative impact on the mental health of Native American youth.
The Washington NFL team dropped its name in 2020 following years of pressure and a national reckoning over racism. After a brief period as the Washington Football Team, they rebranded as the Commanders in 2022. The Cleveland MLB team, which had been known as the Indians since 1915, also changed its name to the Guardians in 2022, after a similar period of public criticism and a phased retirement of its controversial "Chief Wahoo" logo.
The owners of both teams have indicated that they have no plans to change the names back. For the Washington team, the issue is further complicated by its pursuit of a new stadium. The president has explicitly stated that he may "put a restriction" on a new stadium deal for the team in Washington if they do not restore their old name, a move that is seen by many as a political pressure tactic. The legality of such a restriction is unclear, but the threat has reignited a debate that many believed had been settled.