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President Donald Trump is pushing for a return to old team names in U.S. sports, calling on the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians to go back to their previous identities — the Redskins and the Indians.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump wrote, "The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this." He also brought up Cleveland's baseball team, saying, "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."
Trump told team owners to "GET IT DONE!!!"
Washington's NFL franchise changed its name in 2020 following extended criticism and public pressure, first adopting the temporary name "Washington Football Team" before officially becoming the Commanders in 2022. Around the same time, Cleveland's baseball team also rebranded, moving away from the "Indians" name in 2021 and choosing "Guardians," a name inspired by iconic statues located near their home stadium. Both teams made the shift after years of backlash over the use of Native American imagery and terminology in sports.
Trump has spoken out before about name changes in sports but hadn't directly called for a reversal like he did this time. He's also supported high schools keeping Native-themed mascots and sent the Education Secretary to back a New York school's use of "Chiefs."
Despite his push, neither team seems interested in going back. Commanders owner Josh Harris, who bought the team in 2023, said earlier this year that the current name has been accepted within the organization and confirmed that they plan to keep it.
Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti defended the team's rebranding decision, acknowledging differing opinions but affirming that the organization has spent the past four years establishing its identity under the new name and is focused on moving forward.
