Trump Criticizes Cleveland Guardians’ Name Change: ‘I Like Tradition’

Donald Trump has criticized the Dolan family, owners of Cleveland’s baseball team, for their decision to rebrand the Cleveland Indians as the Cleveland Guardians.

At a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, Trump, 77, expressed his discontent with the team’s name change, which was approved shortly before he left office in January 2021.

“I like sports and I like tradition,” Trump said. “So you have a team called the Cleveland Indians. Indians. They’re Indians. And they took the team Cleveland Indians and made it to the Cleveland Guardians. Almost like they’re in charge of a trust fund.” 

In his further remarks, Trump aimed at Matt Dolan, a partial owner of the Guardians and a former Republican candidate who did not fully support Trump in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Ohio. Trump questioned Dolan’s suitability for political office and stated that anyone involved in the team’s name change should not hold positions such as senator or governor. While Trump admitted he did not personally know Dolan, he highlighted Dolan’s involvement in the decision.

Since the name change to the Guardians, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball franchise has qualified for the postseason once, and finished third in the AL Central last year. The name change followed a period of controversy when fans criticized the Dolan family, particularly the team’s main owner Larry Dolan and his son Paul, who has served as the team’s CEO/Chairman since 2011. The decision came in response to public backlash and a broader national conversation about racist names and symbols.

The selection of a new name involved extensive community engagement where the team conducted surveys and interviews with fans, local leaders, and front-office members. Ultimately, the “Guardians” was chosen, inspired by the eight art-deco statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge near the ballpark.

The name change faced a legal challenge from a local roller derby team, also called the Cleveland Guardians, which filed a lawsuit that alleged trademark infringement. Both parties reached an agreement that allowed both teams to use the name.

Set to begin their 2024-25 season on March 28, the Cleveland Guardians will face another team that has undergone a name rebrand, the Oakland Athletics. The name change marks the seventh in the franchise’s history since its relocation from Columbus to Cleveland in 1900. Previous names include the Cleveland Lake Shores, Bluebirds, Bronchos, Naps, Indians and now the Guardians.

The Guardians’ season home opener is scheduled for April 8 at Progressive Field, where they will face the Chicago White Sox.

Trump and his family have become “anti-woke” crusaders in recent years. His son, Donald Trump Jr., has even created an anti-woke men’s magazine.