The ‘Donald Trump dance’ made a resurgent return to the sporting stage on Thursday night when three MLB stars honored the president during his resolute appearance at Yankee Stadium.
The president put on a defiant display as he attended the game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks – just 24 hours after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Footage from inside the Yankees’ clubhouse had shown Trump joking and chatting with the Pinstripes ahead of the clash, but it was their rivals who paid an on-field homage to the president during the clash in The Bronx.
Tigers stars Dillon Dingler, Gleyber Torres and Wenceel Perez revived the ‘Trump Dance’ craze that had swept through the sporting world following Trump’s return to the White House last November.
At various points throughout the game, the trio each mimicked Trump’s famous hip shimmy and arm shake, which had proven to be a popular move for the Commander-in-Chief on last year’s campaign trail.
After each making it on base in the top of the second inning, both Dingler and Perez, who is Dominican, performed the dance. Meanwhile, Venezuelan star Torres, a former Yankee, followed suit in the third.
Detroit Tigers players Dillon Dingler, Wenceel Perez and Gleyber Torres performed the ‘Donald Trump dance’ during their game against the New York Yankees on Thursday night
The president was in attendance at Yankee Stadium 24 hours after the death of Charlie Kirk
The three MLB stars aren’t the first athletes to mimic Trump’s jerky movements on the sporting stage after the craze swept through the NFL last season.
Brock Bowers, Calvin Ridley and Nick Bosa were among the NFL stars to mimic the president on the football field in the wake of Trump’s re-election.
The 49ers’ Bosa was also fined nearly $12,000 for sporting a MAGA hat while interrupting a teammate’s on-camera interview. In punishing Bosa, the NFL said he was guilty of violating the league’s rule preventing players from displaying messages on the field.
However, the league did not punish players for performing the ‘Trump Dance’ during their celebrations.
Soccer star Christian Pulisic also celebrated a goal against Jamaica by performing Trump’s step-less, arm-jerking on-stage dance.
Furthermore, British LPGA star Charley Hull and the UFC’s Jon Jones have also incorporated the maneuver into various celebrations.
And the Tigers trio weren’t the only ones to celebrate Trump’s attendance at Yankee Stadium with a shimmy on Thursday night.
As ‘YMCA’ played over the speakers midway through the sixth inning per Yankee tradition, fans also pulled out Trump’s signature dance move.
Trump looked to be dancing along as fans mimicked his dance moves when ‘YMCA’ played
The president was filmed addressing the locker room before shaking hands with players
A group of young fans near Trump’s seat urged him to join the fun. ‘Do the dance! Come on, Daddy!’ one fan shouted.
Trump took his seat in the stands around 7pm ET after jetting in to New York City from Washington, DC. He received a mixed reception from fans with some cheers and boos when he appeared on screen during the national anthem.
During the national anthem, the president was shown on the stadium jumbotron and received boos from some in the crowd, cheers from others.
When Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit a homer in the bottom of the first, Trump stood and applauded, as did members of an entourage that included Attorney General Pam Bondi and Lee Zeldin, a former New York congressman who is now head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
In the second inning, Trump’s attendance was announced and he was shown on the big screen for an extended period while ‘Hail to the Chief’ played. He smiled and pumped his fist repeatedly. Boos were heard at first, but many in the crowd cheered.
Trump’s resolute display comes after an emotional 24 hours for the president after he was the one who announced the death of conservative commentator Kirk, 31.
Kirk, a close ally of Trump, was shot and killed, while hosting a Q&A event with students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on Wednesday
Trump put on a defiant display Thursday night as he met with New York Yankees stars
The president announced in an appearance on Fox News early Friday morning that a suspect is finally in custody following an exhaustive manhunt by the FBI.
Law enforcement sources later told Daily Mail that Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident, was taken into custody as the alleged assassin.
The alleged killer confessed to his father Matt, who is a a 27-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, sources told Daily Mail. His father then contacted authorities and secured his son before he could be taken into custody.
Robinson was a student at Utah State University on a scholarship, insiders confirmed to Daily Mail.
