President Donald Trump is calling on the Cleveland Guardians to restore their historic “Indians” name, following his recent demand that the Washington Commanders return to being the Washington Redskins.
In a Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump wrote:
“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team… Likewise, the Cleveland Indians… Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen… OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”
Trump later doubled down in a follow-up post:
“If they don’t change the name back… I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington… Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians… MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”
Trump also mocked Cleveland team owner Matt Dolan, suggesting his repeated political losses were tied to abandoning the Indians name:
“The Owner… who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change.”
Team President Rejects Trump’s Call
Guardians president Chris Antonetti rejected Trump’s call to bring back the team’s traditional name, telling The Athletic:
“It’s a decision we made, and we’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years.”
Trump has long criticized the woke rebranding of legacy sports franchises. At a 2024 rally in Dayton, Ohio, Trump slammed the Dolan family:
“I like sports and I like tradition… And they took the team Cleveland Indians and made it to the Cleveland Guardians. Almost like they’re in charge of a trust fund.”
A Legacy Erased
The name “Cleveland Indians” dated back to 1915 and was rooted in various stories, including the alleged honoring of Native American player Louis Sockalexis and the success of the 1914 Boston Braves. The team won World Series titles in 1920 and 1948, marking historic moments in Major League Baseball history.
In 2020, amid the George Floyd riots and media-driven cultural pressure, Cleveland caved to activists and announced it would abandon the Indians name. The Guardians name was adopted in 2021 and officially debuted in 2022.
“Make Indians Great Again”
Trump’s post struck a chord with traditional sports fans and Native Americans who have spoken out in favor of keeping or restoring legacy team names, saying they honor—not offend—the culture.
“Times are different now… We are a Country of passion and common sense,” Trump said.
