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President Donald Trump attended the New York Yankees game on Thursday night after honouring the victims of the September 11 attacks at the Pentagon earlier in the day, but his presence drew mixed reactions.
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America marked the 24th anniversary of the attacks with ceremonies in New York and Pennsylvania. The tragic incident claimed nearly 3,000 lives in 2001, and every year the names of the victims are read aloud as loved ones share personal memories.
Trump started his day at the Pentagon, where he honoured the 184 people killed when a hijacked plane struck the military headquarters. The ceremony was moved indoors because of heightened security, especially after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah just a day earlier. Trump told the crowd: “Today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001… The enemy will always fail. We defy the fear, endure the flames.”
Later that night, Trump showed up at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx for the Yankees–Tigers game. AP reported some fans booed when his face appeared on the jumbotron, while others cheered. During the National Anthem, the crowd broke into “USA! USA!” chants, but they were more about 9/11 than Trump. Security was locked down. Trump sat in a suite protected with bulletproof glass, set up over the Tigers’ dugout. Secret Service swarmed the place, metal detectors lined the gates, sniffer dogs patrolled, helicopters hovered, and fans were told to arrive hours early just to clear checks.
This wasn’t Trump’s first sports appearance since returning to the White House earlier this year. He has earlier attended the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, UFC fights, the NCAA wrestling championships, the FIFA Club World Cup final, and the U.S. Open last weekend. The Yankees also continued their tradition of singing “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch in addition to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
Before the game, Trump told players he believed the Yankees would win. He recalled sitting with late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner at past games, joking that it was “brutal” because Steinbrenner expected nothing but wins, but they always won when he was there. “You think that was easy sitting with him for a game? It wasn’t. It was brutal. But he won, and you’re going to win,” the president said. Trump told the players they’d “go all the way” and wished them luck.
Security was extremely heavy, even more so because Trump ally Charlie Kirk had been assassinated in Utah just the day before. The night also carried weight because it marked the 24th anniversary of 9/11. The Yankees held a moment of silence before the first pitch, lowered flags to half-staff, and displayed the message “September 11, 2001, We Shall Not Forget” on the scoreboard.
(With Inputs from AP)
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