Former President Trump took a shot at Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan (R) on Monday — hours after he entered the race for the state’s open Senate seat — over the recent name change to Cleveland’s baseball team, which is owned by his father.
“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,” Trump wrote in a statement sent by the Save America PAC.
The former president wrote that the Atlanta Braves — another MLB team — and the Florida State Seminoles — a college university mascot — have not changed their monikers, yet Cleveland decided to do so over concerns of sensitivity regarding Native Americans.
“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?” Trump wrote.
“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!” he added, referring to “Republicans in name only.”
Cleveland’s MLB team, previously known as the Indians, officially changed its name to the Guardians in July, following the nationwide unrest that broke out last year in response to the murder of George Floyd and other instances of police brutality and injustice against Black Americans.
Trump at the time expressed opposition to the name change, arguing that “many Indians” would likely be upset by it.
His latest comments against the MLB team’s name came hours after Dolan jumped into Ohio’s open Senate race, entering a crowded GOP field full of Trump supporters.
Dolan, a centrist, suggested in a statement that the other candidates in the race have not adequately concentrated on the needs of Ohioans.
“After meeting with Republicans, conservative activists and community leaders across Ohio in recent weeks, it’s clear that the focus of the race for U.S. Senate has yet to be about our people, our interests, and our beloved state,” he said. “This changes today with the announcement of my candidacy for U.S. Senate.”
Former state Treasurer Josh Mandel, author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, former state GOP Chairman Jane Timken, businessman Bernie Moreno, and investment banker Mike Gibbons are all also vying for the Republican nomination in the race to fill retiring Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) seat.
A number of them have shown strong allegiance to Trump and have worked to cast themselves as reliable conservatives. They have also publicly jockeyed for the former president’s endorsement.