[SPEAKER_00]: This is a news.com newsflash. [SPEAKER_01]: The Cleveland Guardians are pushing back against President Donald Trump's suggestion to return to their former name, the Cleveland Indians. [SPEAKER_01]: The major league baseball team officially changed its name after the twenty-twenty-one season, following years of criticism from Native American advocacy groups. [SPEAKER_01]: Trump recently wrote on truth social, our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. [SPEAKER_01]: Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. [SPEAKER_01]: We are a country of passionate common sense. [SPEAKER_01]: However, the team changed its name in the first place in the face of immense criticism from Native American advocacy groups, who claimed that the team's previous name was racially insensitive.
[SPEAKER_01]: The team's president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, addressed the issue directly, stating that he understands there are different perspectives but emphasized the team's commitment to its new identity. [SPEAKER_01]: 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. [SPEAKER_01]: He's set in a statement.
[SPEAKER_01]: Trump's criticism of sports franchise name changes is not limited to the Guardians. [SPEAKER_01]: He also pulled out the NFL's Washington Commanders, formerly the Washington Red Skins, demanding that the team revert to its previous name. [SPEAKER_01]: But Washington Commanders had previously retired the Redskins name in twenty twenty, then adopted the Commanders name in twenty twenty two.
[SPEAKER_01]: I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original, Trump posted on truth social. [SPEAKER_01]: However, he did not clarify what kind of restriction he would pursue or how he could enforce it. [SPEAKER_01]: It has been pointed out that the Commanders are currently working on a deal with a district of Columbia to build a new stadium on the RFK Stadium campus.
[SPEAKER_01]: If finalized, the deal would bring the team back to DC for the first time since nineteen ninety six. [SPEAKER_01]: However, because Congress, currently under Republican control in both the House and Senate, holds ultimate authority of a Washington DC's budget, it retains final oversight on related financial decisions. [SPEAKER_01]: Trump's comments regarding changing team name stand in contrast to his past stance.
[SPEAKER_01]: In twenty thirteen, Trump tweeted, President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name, our country has far bigger problems. [SPEAKER_01]: Focus on that. [SPEAKER_01]: Not nonsense.