Hail to the Chiefs.
President Trump vowed Monday to fight for a Long Island town to keep its school’s team name and logo after New York State demanded their removal because of a ban on Native American imagery.
The Massapequa school board called on Trump after losing a tooth-and-nail battle in court for nearly two years to keep “Chiefs,” a nod to the area’s Native American ancestors as the school’s logo.
“I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The president added that he is asking Secretary of Education Linda McMahon “to fight” on behalf of the town.
“Forcing them to change the name, after all of these years, is ridiculous and, in actuality, an affront to our great Indian population.”
Trump said “virtually everyone in the area” is demanding the name be saved.
In 2023, New York’s Department of Education ordered all schools with Native American team connections to rebrand, sparking a lawsuit from Massapequa and a handful of other towns.
“We just want to live our lives and continue to honor our past, and retain our identity,” Massapequa School Board President Kerry Wachter told The Post.
Wachter said keeping the logo would save $1 million needed for the forced rebranding across the town’s nine public schools.
“President Trump knows that Massapequa is a great town, that we’re just hardworking people, cops, firemen, teachers, just your everyday patriotic people,” she added. “He’s welcome to see a Chiefs game anytime with a front row seat.”
It remains unclear what the Trump administration can do to change New York’s policy other than threatening to pull federal funding unless officials rescind the ban.
State Department of Education spokesperson JP O’Hare stood by the ban, saying the Board of Regents adopted the policy because “certain Native American names and images have been shown to perpetuate negative stereotypes.
“Disrespecting entire groups of people is wrong in any context, but especially in our schools, where all students should feel welcome and supported,” O’Hare said.
The spokesperson said the regulations permit the use of Native American names if approved by tribal leaders, and blasted town education leaders for not engaging indigenous leaders and a department “Mascot Advisory Committee” before suing over the matter.
Gary Baldinger, a recently retired school board member and MHS grad who played for the Kansas City Chiefs, also said the fight to keep the logo is “going to become stronger than ever now.”
“I think it’s a great lesson for everyone, athlete, non-athlete, for anybody living in Massapequa, for anywhere that matter,” he said. “If you believe in something strongly — politically or not — and it’s worth fighting for, then you keep moving forward. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end we’re going to be able to keep it.”
Trump’s Truth Social post also addressed the double standard between the high school and the NFL team name.
“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 added. “LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said “common sense” prevailed, adding he is hopeful that the Wantagh Warriors will also get to keep their name.
“We believe that the names, Chiefs, and Warriors are meant to honor Native Americans,” he said. “Basically, the powers that be in Albany are trying to turn back the history of Nassau County and Long Island.”
