Donald Trump: Redskins a 'positive' name, Washington shouldn't change

ByJohn Keim ESPN logo
Monday, October 5, 2015

The Washington Redskins picked up another Republican endorsement for their nickname. This time, Donald Trump did something he has rarely done -- agreeing with a stance by presidential rival Jeb Bush -- when he voiced support for the Redskins' name.

Monday, Trump came out in favor of the team keeping its nickname in an interview with the New York Times. Bush did the same with SiriusXM radio last week.

"Honestly, I don't think they should change the name, unless the owner wanted to," Trump told the Times.

But Trump also told the newspaper that the name had been in use a long time and not everyone views it as a slur. And, he viewed it as "unnecessary political correctness," adding to his record of being anything but.

"I know Indians that are extremely proud of that name," Trump said. "They think it's a positive."

The Change the Mascot campaign released a statement opposing Trump's comments.

"It is hardly surprising that a candidate who labeled Mexican immigrants rapists and calls women 'pigs' now says he wants the NFL to continue slurring Native Americans. Donald Trump joins some of the NFL's ignoble fraternity of billionaires who sit in their office suites and owners boxes happily spending their fortunes denigrating people of color."

The name issue puts them squarely at odds with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who already has called for the Redskins to change their name. Some Native American groups have led the charge for the team to drop the nickname.

Snyder has donated $100,000 to Bush's campaign.

"I don't think politicians ought to be having any say about that, to be honest with you," Bush said. "I don't find it offensive. Native American tribes generally don't find it offensive."

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