NCAI rejects Trump’s call to revive racist team names

President Trump said he may block a new stadium for the Washington Commanders unless the team reverts to its former name, according to NPR. The Commanders dropped their old name in 2020 after years of criticism that it was racist toward Indigenous people.

“The Washington 'Whatever’s' should immediately change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also called for the Cleveland Guardians to return to the name Cleveland Indians. “Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen,” he wrote, offering no evidence.

The National Congress of American Indians issued a press release on Monday rejecting Trump’s claim. It stated that Indian Country has repeatedly opposed the use of Native-themed mascots and cited decades of resolutions supported by hundreds of tribal nations. “Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society,” NCAI President Mark Macarro was quoted as saying.