Is the most recent idiotic, over-his-skis, abuse of power and position outburst by President Trump a genuine big deal? No, it isn’t. But his gratuitous attempt to re-open the old political correctness victories resulting in the forced name changes of two sports teams, the Cleveland Indians (boringly recast as “the Guardians”) and the Washington Redskins (even more boringly renamed “The Commanders”) is exactly what Trump does not need right now. What he needs is to project some stability even as the disgusting Axis keeps trying “Hail Mary” fake controversies like the Epstein “client list” and the supposed Trump plot to get rid of Stephen Colbert.
It is not the President’s business to stick his metaphorical nose into the naming of sports franchises; they aren’t the Gulf of Mexico. Presuming that it is his business plays right into the “king” narrative, and for Trump to do that is just plain incompetent. The effort has no upside and lots of potential political problems, as illustrated by the second Truth Social post in the series.
A President can’t use government pressure to make a private organization change its name: that is a First Amendment violation and a pretty obvious one. Trump’s obsession with “I might…” trolling isn’t funny, and, again, gives his opponents and the Trump Deranged more ammunition for their unhinged hate and hysteria. He “might” revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship. Riiiight. This kind of thing just makes the President of the United States look petty and weak. I don’t understand why Trump can’t see that.
I hated the decision to change the Redskins to the Commanders (heaven knows I wrote about it enough) , and hated the decision to change the Indians to the Guardians even more. But both the American League’s Cleveland ball club and Washington’s NFL franchise should send President a Trump a loud, clear “Bite me.”
Ethics Alarms 
Ah yes. MIGA! So grateful he is focused on the #1 issue for our Native American population. Also impressed with how our president is able to multitask like this, while still keeping the administration laser focused on the #1 most important priority — which is of course investigating the coverup of Biden’s age-related cognitive decline– oh, no wait that was last week — ahem, sorry, the #1 most important thing, which would be the DOJ investigation of Obama, Comey, and Brennan pushing the Russia Russia Russia hoax (criminal referrals coming soon?).
Well he is in good company on this issue.
“In February 2013 a symposium on the topic was held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.[73] Subsequently, the Oneida Indian Nation of New York sponsored a series of radio ads in each city to coincide with games of the 2013 season, each featuring a targeted message.[74] A broader range of persons spoke in favor of change or open discussion, including local government leaders, members of Congress, and President Barack Obama. Statements in support of a name change by academic, civil rights and religious organizations were added to those that Native American groups have been making for decades”
“In November 2015, President Barack Obama, speaking at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, stated “Names and mascots of sports teams like the Washington Redskins perpetuate negative stereotypes of Native Americans” and praised Adidas for a new initiative to help schools change names and mascots by designing new logos and paying for part of the cost of new uniforms. On May 22, 2014, fifty U.S. Senators, forty-eight Democrats and two Independents, sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Goodell asking the league, referencing the Donald Sterling case, to “send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports.” Five Democratic Senators declined to sign the letter, and Republicans were not invited to do so. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump defended the name.”
Source: Washington Redskins name controversy – Wikiwand
This issue was one of several that the other owners used to force Dan Snyder to sell the team,
So if we are honest, politics and demands to change the name in return for money to build a stadium have been going on for nearly a generation. Trump is not the first. If you want to argue that this is not the best use of his time that is fine but I will allow him some personal time to express his opinions. There is absolutely no difference between saying money for a stadium will be held up if the name is not changed back or that money was withheld until the name was changed.
The name changed when FedEx and Nike pulled their sponsorship so if FedEx and Nike want to have a say I say let them build the new stadium then they can call it whatever they want. That is how free speech works. It is not up to the taxpayers to build advertising monuments where people are entertained.
Everybody does it.
Everybody failed to near-unanimously call it out the first time around.
My point was not everybody does it. The point was that presidential statements are judged by what is politically correct.
Many have been convinced that the old name was reinforcing negative stereotypes without demonstrating any such thing. Another large group wanted to keep the name but they were cast as racists.
Trump’s opinion is no more correct than Obama’s was the difference is that Obama was untouchable and Trump is fair game. They both used their elevated stage to weigh in on something that they did not need to.
Would the knowledge that a sports franchise was paying an organization a yearly significant stipend to not bring media attention and mobs to the stadium to force a name change have any relevance to this conversation?
The sports teams were “black mailed” by grifters so that they could keep their original names. When the price got too high, the organization changed the names.
This action is not about free speech. It’s about putting a stake through the heart of likely many hundreds of grifting organizations that have been a drag on American companies and American citizens.
As a secondary bonus, these grifters are left wing organizations that will no longer be able to use this ill gotten money to pursue goals that are against the will of the people.
It might change the conversation.
What organization? How much were they paying this organization? Can you provide us with some evidence for these claims?
Also, when did they — and are we talking just the Washington and Cleveland teams or more franchises — start paying, when did they stop?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Isn’t “Commanders” irredeemably white supremacist? Commanders are at the top of a white social structure that oppresses people of color and indigenous people and Pacific Islanders. And don’t the terms “master” and “commander” go together? We can’t even say “master bedroom” anymore, but a football team can be named after people who are placed above others simply because they are in a capitalist, racist construct contrived to oppress everyone other than white people? I mean, come on. Shouldn’t the team be named the “Washington Proletariat” or the “Washington Workers of the World?” Or maybe, the “Washington People of Color?”
if I had been the head of the Redskins, I would have responded to the command to change the name of the Redskins by changing the name every year. Anything to sell more merchandise, right?
-Jut
The ‘Skins should have kept the name and changed the “mascot”. A couple onions or potatoes would have done the trick.
I’m in the Sierra foothills a continent away an I still have my Redskins ball cap and wear it when I’m going to be around people who might notice, and take issue. I’m that way. Gov. Jerry Brown bullied a local high school into dropping the Redskins name during that frenzy. I think they pushed through a state law about “appropriate” team names and mascots. This place is insane.
//end rant//