The Cleveland Guardians have been the Guardians for four seasons now. The Washington Commanders have been the Commanders for three seasons, approaching their fourth, after two years playing as the Washington Football Team.
Both teams have evolved beyond past their previous monikers, and everyone thought the argument surrounding cultural appropriation, insensitive names, and racist caricatures was done with.
Nope.
The dialog was back in the news Sunday, July 20, courtesy of President Donald Trump. Via a post on Trump’s Truth Social, the president claimed that the Native American people want the names reverted back.
‘There is a big clamoring for this,’ wrote Trump. ‘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.’
‘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. 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!!!’ − Donald Trump via Truth Social
Trump also expressed his own desire to see the names changed back, calling on each team’s owners to ‘GET IT DONE!!!’
However, despite the president’s pleas, the Guardians seem uninterested in going back in time.
Cleveland Guardians respond to Trump’s comments
In a meeting with reporters Sunday, 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. Cleveland’s PBO is obviously hinting at the idea that the team does not plan on returning to the Indians’ moniker any time soon. Antonetti did note that he understands the different perspectives people may have on the name change, but did not provide any indication that the team plans on reverting to its former name.
Trump’s history with Cleveland baseball
Trump has been involved with Cleveland’s MLB franchise for over four decades at this point. The President even attempted to buy the team back in 1983, but his deal was eventually rejected.
Since the name change, Trump has been adamant that the change was a mistake, claiming that the decision was made only as a means to be ‘politically correct’ when it was first announced. During his election campaign in 2024, Trump continued expressing his discontent with the change. While speaking at a rally in Ohio, Trump compared the name ‘Cleveland Guardians’ to a group of people ‘in charge of a trust fund.’
Have the Washington Commanders made a statement?
Not yet.
That said, they likely will not be reverting to their former name either. Since new Commanders owner Josh Harris took control of the team in 2023, he has maintained a staunch stance that his team will not be returning to their former name.
Harris has previously stated that the name has been ’embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff,’ expressing a strong connection with the brand and looking to build a future with the organization as it currently is.
That said, earlier this month, the Commanders unveiled an alternate uniform for the upcoming season that will take their title-starved fans back to the Joe Gibbs glory years. The Commanders are set to wear what is basically the same look the team had while reaching four Super Bowls between the 1982 and ’91 seasons, winning the Lombardi Trophy three times during that span.
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