CLEVELAND — President Donald Trump has urged the Washington NFL team and the Cleveland MLB team to revert to their former names, which were changed in recent years due to concerns over racism. On Sunday, Trump posted on his social media platform, stating, "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!!!"

Josh Harris, who purchased the Washington Commanders from former owner Dan Snyder in 2023, has stated that the team's name is here to stay. Shortly after taking over, Harris dismissed speculation about a return to the Redskins name, affirming that it would not happen. In a follow-up post, Trump suggested he would not support funding for a new stadium if the Commanders did not revert to the Redskins name.

Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations for the Cleveland Guardians, indicated before a recent game against the Athletics that there are no plans to reconsider the name change. "We understand there are different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but obviously it’s a decision we made. We’ve got the opportunity to build a brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future that’s in front of us," he said.

Both teams have used their current names since the 2022 seasons. Washington dropped the Redskins name after the 2019 season and was known as the Washington Football Team for two years before adopting the Commanders name. Cleveland announced in December 2020 that it would retire the Indians name, officially becoming the Guardians in July 2021. The team also phased out the controversial "Chief Wahoo" logo in 2018.

The name changes have sparked both support and criticism amid national discussions about the appropriateness of team names and logos considered racist. The Guardians are the fifth name for Cleveland's baseball franchise, which began as the Blues in 1901 as one of the American League's charter franchises. The team later became the Bronchos and then the Naps before adopting the Indians name in 1915. Washington's franchise began as the Redskins in Boston in 1933 before relocating to the nation's capital four years later.

Additionally, both teams share a connection through David Blitzer, who is part of Harris' ownership group for the Commanders and holds a minority stake in the Guardians.