Trump: Cleveland baseball team having to drop Indians name, bow to cancel culture is 'disgrace'

Former President Trump railed Friday against the owners of Cleveland's Major League Baseball team having to change the team's name from the Indians to the Guardians, saying the end of the 106-year-old tradition was a "disgrace" forced by a small group of people "determined to destroy our culture and heritage."

Trump expressed his disappointment with the change hours after it was announced by the franchise.

"Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians?" Trump asked in a statement. "Such a disgrace, and I guarantee that the people who are most angry about it are the many Indians of our Country."

The team had been under pressure for years to change its name, amid criticism about it being offensive to Native Americans.

The National Football League team in Washington, D.C., recently changed its name from the Redskins to the Washington Football Team, amid such pressure.

"Wouldn't it be an honor to have a team named the Cleveland Indians, and wouldn't it be disrespectful to rip that name and logo off of those jerseys?" the former president also asked in the statement. "The people of Cleveland cannot be thrilled and I, as a FORMER baseball fan, cannot believe things such as this are happening. A small group of people, with absolutely crazy ideas and policies, is forcing these changes to destroy our culture and heritage. At some point, the people will not take it anymore!"