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President Donald Trump expressed his support on Monday for a Long Island school seeking his help over an effort to ban its longtime Chiefs logo.
The president shared his support for the Massapequa Chiefs in a Truth Social post that included a link to a New York Post story and video about the controversy.
“I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School. Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population,” Trump wrote.
“The School Board, and virtually everyone in the area, are demanding the name be kept. It has become the School’s identity and, what could be wrong with using the name, ‘Chief’? I don’t see the Kansas City Chiefs changing their name anytime soon!” he continued.
Trump also stated that Education Secretary Linda McMahon was being asked to get involved to support the school’s efforts to keep the Chiefs logo.
“By copy of this TRUTH, I am asking my highly capable Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue. LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!” he concluded.
School board members turned to Trump for assistance after a judge ruled against them in a legal battle over the name and logo.
“Changing the name doesn’t have any good effect on our kids. This is their identity, this is who they are — they are Chiefs,” Massapequa School Board President Kerry Wachter told The Post.
“Perhaps the secretary of education or President Trump might feel that they might have some authority here to step in,” she said.
The ruling is part of a state mandate issued in 2023 to remove Native American names and imagery from all New York public schools. According to the report, the district claims that the change would require approximately $1 million in rebranding.
