Donald Trump recently attempted to revive the Cleveland Indians name change controversy, claiming Native Americans want the former name restored. But according to Native American community members and local reaction, this claim has no basis in reality and appears to be a calculated political maneuver.
The Today in Ohio podcast team explored Trump’s comments and the community response, revealing how most Northeast Ohioans see through what they describe as a transparent distraction tactic.
“It’s shocking, right, that Trump would just make something up,” Laura Johnston said sarcastically on the podcast before sharing the reaction of Robert Roach, an Apache who has been a fixture at the ballpark. According to Johnston, Roach was “incredulous when he heard Trump’s comments. He said every time Trump opens his mouth, he lies. He is a pathological liar. He has never spoken to anybody in the Indian community about it.”
Like many others, the podcast hosts theorized that Trump’s comments were strategically timed to shift public attention away from mounting scrutiny regarding his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. “The Washington Post had a story of all the things he’s done in the last four days to get attention,” noted Chris Quinn. “He keeps doing [things], saying, ‘look, a bright shiny.’ But it’s not working. People are focused on that Epstein case.”
What makes this distraction attempt notable is how thoroughly it failed to resonate with its intended audience. When cleveland.com asked readers for thoughts on Trump’s comments about the team name, an overwhelming 750+ responded, with most making clear they have moved on from the name change controversy.
“Many saw it as a calculated move to stir up culture war anger in a swing state,” Leila Atassi explained while summarizing subscriber feedback. “Some even called it a distraction tactic… and they mentioned things like Trump’s Epstein connections and saying he’s trying to keep his base angry and engaged.”
Even among those who preferred the Indians name, many expressed frustration at Trump’s attempt to reopen a settled issue. “Some said it’s too late to relitigate this issue,” Atassi said. “Others didn’t appreciate Trump injecting himself into what they see as a completely local debate.”
Lisa Garvin pointed out the disruptive nature of Trump’s intervention: “But he did open a wound that had mostly scabbed over… this wound was healing and he just ripped it right open for personal, selfish reasons.”
Four seasons into the Guardians era, most fans have adjusted to the new identity. As one subscriber succinctly put it: “Call them the marshmallows, as long as they hit and pitch.”
Listen to the discussion here.
Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.
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