Jeb Bush: Washington Redskins name not offensive
Presidential candidate Jeb Bush (R) says the Washington Redskins team name should not be changed and is not offensive, the former Florida governor tells Sirius XM's “The Arena” radio show.
“I don’t think [the team] should change it. But again, I don’t think politicians ought to have any say in that to be honest with you. I don’t find it offensive,” Bush told ABC News' Rick Klein and ESPN's Andy Katz. “Native American tribes generally don’t find it offensive.”
Bush was governor when Florida State and the Seminole tribe were under fire for the university's use of team's ascot.
“I think they insult those people by telling them, ‘No, no, you're not smart enough to understand this. You should be feeling really horrible about this.’ It's ridiculous,” Bush told USA Today in 2005.
In Wednesday's comments, Bush did not disclose the fact that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder also donated $100,000 to Bush’s presidential campaign's Right to Rise Super PAC, which is a legally unaffiliated pro-Bush committee that Bush has actively raised money for.
A 2014 poll by The Change the Mascot campaign determined that 83 percent of Americans would not use the term to a Native American’s face.
Listen to Bush's comments on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell below:
- Christopher Chavez
