Donald Trump is once again calling for the Cleveland Guardians to revert to their former name, the Cleveland Indians. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, July 20, 2025, Trump voiced his disapproval of the team's 2021 name change. He also called for the Washington Commanders to restore their former "Redskins" name.
Trump stated, without evidence, that "our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen". He argued that their "heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them". He finished his post by saying, "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!!!".
In a follow-up post, Trump mentioned Matt Dolan, referring to him as the "Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team," and claimed that the former state legislator "has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change". Matt Dolan is the brother of Paul Dolan, the majority owner, chairman, and CEO of the Guardians. Trump has a history of attacking Dolan's political aspirations by associating him with the name change. In 2021, when Matt Dolan ran for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat, Trump issued a statement criticizing the Guardians name.
The Cleveland Guardians have not released any further comments on Trump's post. However, Guardians president Chris Antonetti stated that the team is "excited about the future that's in front of us". Antonetti added, "I understand there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but it's a decision we made and we've gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years".
The Cleveland Guardians officially changed their name from the Cleveland Indians on November 19, 2021. The organization made the change after decades of criticism and protests from Native American groups and others who considered the "Indians" name and Chief Wahoo logo offensive. The team's decision was also influenced by the national reckoning for institutions and teams to drop logos and names considered racist. Last summer's social unrest, spurred by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, further motivated the change.
The Guardians name is inspired by the Guardians of Traffic, eight monumental Art Deco sculptures on the Hope Memorial Bridge near Progressive Field. These sculptures symbolize progress. The organization spent a year narrowing down a list of almost 1,200 potential names, including 140 hours of interviews with fans, community leaders, and front office personnel, and a survey of 40,000 fans.
While the name change has been praised by many, including Native American groups, some fans have criticized the decision. Despite the controversy, the team has continued to move forward with its new identity. The team will keep its red, white, and navy colors.
The team was known as the Cleveland Indians from 1915 to 2021. Before that, the team had several other names, including the Cleveland Naps, Cleveland Broncos, and Cleveland Bluebirds.
