Former President Donald Trump is not happy with the Cleveland Indians’ name change, as he expressed his disapproval of the situation Friday.
“Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace, and I guarantee that the people who are most angry about it are the many Indians of our Country,” he said in a statement.
This reaction came shortly after the Major League Baseball team announced via a video narrated by actor Tom Hanks, that, beginning in 2022, their name all be the “Cleveland Guardians.”
“Together we stand with all who understand what it means to be born and built from the land – because this is the city we love and the game we believe in. And together, we are all Cleveland Guardians,” the video proclaimed.
The Cleveland Indigenous Coalition put out a statement saying that they were happy with the team’s name change and its ability “to listen and learn and show it is possible to take steps toward change.”
“Our community has worked tirelessly to be recognized as diverse and vibrant, instead of being portrayed in inaccurate and harmful ways,” the Coalition said in a statement posted by the Lake Erie Native American Council on Facebook. “This name change will help create a place where Native American children and their families feel valued and fully seen. We are pleased the Cleveland baseball team took a comprehensive approach to listen and lean and show it is possible to take steps toward change.”
Similarly, the owner and chairman of the team, Paul Dolan, expressed his contentment with the name change in a statement.
“We are excited to usher in the next era of the deep history of baseball in Cleveland,” Dolan said. “Cleveland has and always will be the most important part of our identity. Therefore, we wanted a name that strongly represents the pride, resiliency and loyalty of Clevelanders.
But Trump was, of course, not as pleased, even going as far to state that he is now a “FORMER baseball fan,” as he doesn’t agree with the Cleveland team’s step to being more culturally sensitive to Indigenous peoples:
“The people of Cleveland cannot be thrilled and I, as a FORMER baseball fan, cannot believe things such as this are happening, he continued in his statement. “A small group of people, with absolutely crazy ideas and policies, is forcing these changes to destroy our culture and heritage. At some point, the people will not take it anymore!”
The name change came after several years of backlash from Indigenous groups and fans who expressed their offense against the team name and racist Chief Wahoo logo.
Trump’s entire statement is as follows:
“Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace, and I guarantee that the people who are most angry about it are the many Indians of our Country. Wouldn’t it be an honor to have a team named the Cleveland Indians, and wouldn’t it be disrespectful to rip that name and logo off of those jerseys? The people of Cleveland cannot be thrilled and I, as a FORMER baseball fan, cannot believe things such as this are happening. A small group of people, with absolutely crazy ideas and policies, is forcing these changes to destroy our culture and heritage. At some point, the people will not take it anymore!“
And below is a full transcription of Hank’s narration:
“We are a city on the rise. Forging into the future from our ironed-out past. We are a city of fire and water, of trees and towers built through generations of blue collars and the brightest scholars – and all of those who have worked harder. We hold tight to our roots and set our sights on tomorrow, but this is our team that has stood with our city for more than a century from Old Municipal to the corner of Carnegie. A team that has seen its own progress and prosperity. Its history flows like the river through the heart of this city, the history that has given us miraculous moments. Moments that span years, and others 22 games. Moments that broke barriers and moments that broke hearts, moments that prove that this is more than a game. We remember those moments as we move forward with change. You see, there’s always been Cleveland – that’s the best part of our name. Now it’s time to unite as one family, one community, to build the next era for this team in this city. To keep watch and guard what makes this game the greatest. To come together and welcome all who want to join us. We are loyal and proud and resilient. We protect what we’ve earned and always defend it. Together we stand with all who understand what it means to be born and built from the land – because this is the city we love and the game we believe in. And together, we are all Cleveland Guardians.”