While the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians have held their current names for a few years now, the teams and their past mascots – the Redskins and Indians, respectively – were thrown back into national conversation by President Donald Trump over the weekend.
Trump said in a social media post on July 20 that the Guardians and the Commanders, each playing their fourth season under their new names in 2025, should revert back to their old names.
‘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,’ Trump’s post on Truth Social said.
‘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!!!’ Trump concluded.
Later Sunday afternoon, July 20, Trump threatened to restrict the Commanders from building on the old RFK Stadium site if the franchise doesn’t change its name.
‘I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington (name),’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,’ Trump posted.
The president’s most recent comments come after he previously said on social media in October 2013 that the president should not be telling the Redskins to change their name, because our country has ‘far bigger problems.’
Here’s a timeline of each franchise’s name changes.
Timeline of Washington Commanders name change
Here’s a timeline of key events in the evolution of the Washington Redskins to the Washington Commanders.
- May 2013: Former team owner Dan Snyder said in an interview with USA TODAY the Redskins name would never change.
- July 2020: The Washington Redskins announced it would undergo a ‘thorough review of the team’s name’ in the wake of nationwide racial injustice protests spurred in part by the death of George Floyd. Later in the month, the franchise announced it would go by the ‘Washington Football Team’ until further notice.
- February 2022: Washington’s NFL team revealed it will be the Commanders, a tribute to Washington’s military ties.
- July 2023: A partnership led by investor Josh Harris officially acquires the Washington Commanders.
- August 2024: Harris reiterates that the team would not return to its old name for ‘obvious reasons.’
Timeline of Cleveland Guardians name change
Here’s a timeline of key events in the evolution of the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians.
- January 2014: Indians change primary logo from Chief Wahoo to the block-C. Chief Wahoo remained on the home cap and sleeves.
- January 2018: Major League Baseball announces the Indians will discontinue the use of Chief Wahoo on their uniforms beginning with the 2019 season.
- July 2020: Cleveland announces review of its team name in response to racial injustice protests around the U.S.
- December 2020: Owner Paul Dolan announces the team will change its name.
- July 2021: Cleveland announces plans to change its name to the Guardians at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
- November 2021: Progressive Field begins selling Guardians merchandise at the team store.
In a meeting with reporters Sunday, July 20, Guardians’ president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said that he was unaware of Trump’s statements prior to the meeting and that changing the name back to the ‘Indians’ was ‘not something [he has been] tracking or [has] been paying a lot of attention to.’
‘We’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future,’ said Antonetti.
Antonetti did not provide any indication that the team plans on reverting to its former name.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
