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Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
President Trump criticized possible moves by the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians to change their team names as "politically correct," writing in a tweet Monday that the teams are named "out of STRENGTH, not weakness."
Why it matters: Trump is continuing to dig in on the culture wars in an effort to appeal to his mostly white base, despite an overwhelming number of polls that indicate he will lose to Joe Biden in November if he doesn't appeal to a wider swath of voters.
The state of play: Both the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians announced recently that they will be reexamining their team names in light of nationwide backlash over racist symbols.
- Both teams have dealt with criticism over their names for many years, but a renewed national reckoning over racism in the wake of George Floyd's death is pushing them to seriously reconsider.
- A source close to the negotiations tells Axios' Mike Allen there is "no question" the Washington Redskins are expected to change their name before the first kickoff this fall, scheduled for Sept. 10.
- The move comes after FedEx, the sponsor of the Redskins' stadium, released a statement saying, “We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name."
What Trump is tweeting: "They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct. Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!"