Some Major League Baseball players have appeared to copy former President Donald Trump’s response after being shot at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A would-be assassin’s bullet grazed Trump’s right ear on July 13, causing him to duck down as gunfire continued.
When he rose back up surrounded by Secret Service agents, the former president put his fist in the air toward the crowd and yelled out, “Fight, fight, fight!”
LORD JESUS, WE NEED YOU pic.twitter.com/RX65tj6jrQ
— George (@BehizyTweets) July 13, 2024
During a game on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls raised his fist and mouthed, “Fight, fight,” after hitting a stand-up double.
Taylor Walls did the Trump “Fight! Fight!” after this double pic.twitter.com/8K5ovTEIQh
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 21, 2024
That same day, St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Alec Burleson put his fist in the air and a hand over his ear after hitting a home run.
Some of his teammates copied him from the dugout as he rounded the bases.
Is this a Trump home run celebration by the Cardinals? pic.twitter.com/f2XrQr0q3u
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 21, 2024
Many observers thought it was an obvious reference to Trump’s reaction on July 13.
However, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote on X that Cardinals designated hitter Matt Carpenter told him the celebration was to invoke a DJ “with ear/headphones cupped,” and the gesture started early this month.
Carpenter said Burleson was a college DJ at East Carolina University with the nickname “Biscuit.”
“Definitely not a political statement. That is off base,” he told Goold.
Matt Carpenter says celebration supposed to mimic a DJ with ear/headphones cupped, started early this month & inspired by Burleson’s “college rapper” nickname —Biscuit.
“Definitely not a political statement. That is off base,” insists Carpenter. #stlcards
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 21, 2024
Some on social media responded that they could not find an instance of the celebration before the assassination attempt on Trump.
I found ones from Donovan and Arenado yesterday. Haven’t seen any before that but look forward to what you dig up. https://t.co/JAVEZLCU1T https://t.co/qaVXt6RLeu
— John (@JohnMccholl) July 21, 2024
Bleacher Nation’s Brett Taylor wrote regarding the Cardinal player’s claim, “OK. That’s a pretty wild explanation and coincidence, but if that’s where you’re landing, so be it.”
“From my perspective, I saw the celebration and thought it was a reference, and I wasn’t really inclined to say much about it,” Taylor added.
New Cardinals Home Run Celebration Raises Questions – answered by a college rapper named Biscuit? https://t.co/8u5iY9QDDc pic.twitter.com/uxI0Dh74no
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 22, 2024
“Only when the St. Louis media asked about it and Carpenter denied it with a very specific ‘college rapper named Biscuit’ story did I think it was just too absurd not to share.”