President Trump said Native Americans must be “very angry” that the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians are considering changing their names.
Trump accused the professional sports teams of mulling the changes for the sake of political correctness on Monday, taking aim at Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s previous controversy of claiming Native American heritage.
“They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct,” he wrote. “Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!”
They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct. Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
In 2013, Trump criticized then-President Barack Obama for weighing in on the issue after he urged the Washington Redskins to consider changing its name. During an interview with the Associated Press, Obama said, “If I were the owner of the team, and I knew that there was a name of my team, even if it had a storied history, that was offending a sizable group of people, I’d think about changing it.”
At the time, Trump said the United States had “far bigger problems” to focus on than the name of the team.
“President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense,” he tweeted.
President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2013
On Friday, the Redskins announced the team would undergo a “thorough review” of its name, which critics have said is racially insensitive toward Native Americans.
“This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League, and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field,” Redskins owner Dan Snyder said in a statement.
“This issue is of personal importance to me, and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our military,” added the team’s new head coach, Ron Rivera.
The Cleveland Indians also announced Friday night a review of the team’s name after facing mounting pressure from critics.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Warren’s office for comment.
