Mascots and Monsters
From Team Names to Sealed Names — Trump’s Playbook of Culture Wars and Cover-ups
So now Donald Trump wants the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Commanders to change their names back.
Because nothing says “man of the people” like demanding billion-dollar sports franchises revert to racist caricatures.
“Bring back the Redskins, bring back the Indians!” Trump bellowed at a July rally in Michigan. “We’re going to make our teams great again!”
He wasn’t just shouting into the void—he was pressing the gas pedal on a racist nostalgia tour. Trump has even threatened to block plans for a new stadium in Washington, D.C., unless the Commanders revert to their old name. According to several news sources, he told aides the team “doesn’t deserve a new home until it gets its old identity back.”
It’s political hostage-taking—using public infrastructure as leverage to force a private business into adopting a slur.
And the crowd? They roared. Like he hadn’t spent a lifetime bankrupting casinos and stiffing contractors. Like yelling slurs into a microphone makes him a patriot.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about sports. It’s about distraction. It’s about dominance. It’s about using Native identity — once again — as a political chew toy.
Because when Trump screams about “woke” team names, it costs him nothing. But it gets the headlines. It gets the clicks. It keeps the crowd foaming at the mouth about
