Fox News Pundit: Washington Redskins' Name Has Been 'A Term Of Respect'

Fox News Pundit's Unbelievable Comment About Racist Name

The hosts of Fox News' "Outnumbered" criticized the campaign to change the Washington Redskins' team on Monday.

Last week, 50 senators called on the NFL to change the team's name, saying that "racism and bigotry" have "no place in professional sports." The team's president Bruce Allen, however, responded to the campaign claiming that the "Redskins" name is "respectful" towards Native Americans.

Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth repeated that claim as a guest host on Monday's "Outnumbered." He said that the use of the phrase is okay because "the Redskins' name has not been offensively, it's not used commonly either."

Hegseth cited one poll which said the vast majority of Native Americans do not find the term offensive, though that poll has been widely disputed.

He continued, "When's the last time you heard someone use [redskin] as a racial slur? It's not used commonly at all as a racial slur. It's used historically [as] a term of respect."

Many people, from John McCain to the team's own cornerback, have spoken out against the name in recent months. The team's name has been a point of controversy for years, with the Oneida Indian Nation putting pressure on the NFL last year to change it.

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