Trump On Dolan Senate Bid: ‘Anyone Who Changes Indians Nickname To Guardians Shouldn’t Be Running’

Don't expect to see former President Donald Trump in the soon-to-be Cleveland Guardians' team shop anytime soon. Still miffed over Cleveland ownership's decision to change nicknames from the Indians to the Guardians, Trump has declined to endorse Ohio Republican Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Indians, for the U.S. Senate. Trump cites the Dolan family's decision to give into cancel culture as the reason he'll be putting his support elsewhere.

Fearful of offending anyone, the team announced in July that they would be changing the team name from the Indians to Guardians beginning with the 2022 season. The name change was universally met with all the joy of a Christmas lump of coal. Trump himself called the decision "a disgrace."

In a statement released late Monday evening, Trump shattered any hopes Dolan had for a successful campaign run through Ohio: “Anybody that changes the name of the once storied Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians should not be running for the United States Senate representing the Great People of Ohio. The Atlanta Braves didn’t change their name, and the Florida State Seminoles didn’t change their chant, but Cleveland has, and they were there first."

Trump went on to add: “Despite this, a man named Matt Dolan, the son of the owner of the team, said he is against Cancel Culture. Do those two things really work together? In any event, I know of at least one person in the race who I won’t be endorsing. The Republican Party has too many RINOs!”

Dolan has partial ownership of the Indians, but no formal role within the organization. His father, Larry, is the team's principal owner and his brother, Paul, is the Indians' chairman and CEO. Upon announcing the team's decision to change nicknames, Paul Dolan released a letter to Cleveland fans that said: “the name change will be difficult for many of us, and the transition will take time. It is our hope and belief this change will divert us from a divisive path, and instead steer us towards a future where our fans, city, and region are all united as Cleveland Guardians.”

Little did the Dolans know, the name change would not only divert "us" from the path to unification, it would also divert Matt Dolan from his path to the U.S. Senate.