President Trump’s statement last week that he would have defied the left and refused to change the Washington Redskins name, has drawn praise from a group of Native Americans seeking to restore the team’s longtime moniker.
For those who may have missed it, speaking to reporters in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump made it clear he would never have changed the team’s name.
“Well, you want me to make a controversial statement? I would,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t have changed the name. But that’s their — it just doesn’t have the same ring to me.”
Trump’s words rang loud and true for Frank Black Cloud, vice president of the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA), who told TMS Sports that the president’s words, “validate what Indian Country has been saying for years.”
Speaking of the team’s former name, Redskins, Black Cloud says the name “was never a slur, but a symbol of strength, honor, and pride for American Indian people.
“President Trump is standing with history, with truth, and with American Indian voices that have been silenced for far too long.”
Black Cloud added, “This is not about nostalgia — it’s about justice.”
While Commanders Owner Josh Harris has embraced the team’s past, in terms of uniform design, he has remained resistant to the idea of bringing back the name, Redskins.
“The Commanders’ name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building,” Harris told Fox News’ Bret Baier in April. “So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders, and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they’re ranked.
“And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we’re in a military city here. There’s more military personnel than anywhere else, so we’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back.”
While a name change back to Redskins seems unlikely, the president’s involvement in the matter may prompt Harris to reconsider. After all, former Commanders Owner Daniel Snyder once said that the old name would never be changed. So, there is plenty of recent precedent for a Washington NFL owner to change his mind.
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