CLEVELAND — Shortly after the Cleveland Indians officially revealed they are changing the team name to the Cleveland Guardians, the announcement captured the attention of former President Donald Trump. He called the name situation “a disgrace.”
“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.”
Former President Trump also said he “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,” his statement continues (read the full statement at the bottom of this story). “At some point, the people will not take it anymore!”
The new team name was announced Friday in a video announcement narrated by actor Tom Hanks.
“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 declares.
The Cleveland Indigenous Coalition said they are pleased with the team for taking a comprehensive approach “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," according to their statement. "This name change will help create a place where Native American children and their families are valued and fully seen."
The team will start transitioning to the new name at the conclusion of the 2021 baseball season.
“We are excited to usher in the next era of the deep history of baseball in Cleveland,” team owner and chairman Paul 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. ‘Guardians’ reflects those attributes that define us while drawing on the iconic Guardians of Traffic just outside the ballpark on the Hope Memorial Bridge. It brings to life the pride Clevelanders take in our city and the way we fight together for all who choose to be part of the Cleveland baseball family. While ‘Indians’ will always be a part of our history, our new name will help unify our fans and city as we are all Cleveland Guardians.”
Here is the full statement from former President Trump, which was released early Friday afternoon:
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!
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