The Tampa Bay Rays made headlines on Sunday, but not necessarily for their play on the field. Rays shortstop Taylor Walls appeared to do a Donald Trump-inspired celebration after hitting a double during Sunday's 6-4 win over the New York Yankees.
Once Walls got to second base, he pumped his first twice and said “fight, fight,” mimicking Trump's reaction after he was shot in the ear during the failed assassination attempt at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on July 13.
Before Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Wells clarified his intent behind the celebration.
“I think it's pretty inspirational when any person, in the blink of an eye, their life could be taken from them,” Walls said. “They don't really know what's going on in the heat of the moment.”
“To immediately stand up and show strength, to me, speaks pretty loudly,” Walls continued. “Anyone in that situation or that type of event, when it happens, it's strong. It kind of represents character to me, and something that similarly I feel like I've faced those challenges in baseball, but on a much suppressed level.”
Walls' fifth inning double off of Yankees starter Marcus Stroman was his first hit, and first opportunity to break out the celebration, since the assassination attempt. Walls then said that he most likely wouldn't bring back the “fight, fight” Trump-inspired celebration.
Was Taylor Walls supporting Donald Trump with celebration?
During his pregame availability, Walls was asked directly if he planned on voting for Trump in November after confirming that he was in fact referencing the former president with his celebration.
Walls chose not to say specifically who he would be voting for. Instead, Walls explained how he decides which politicians he supports.
“You can read between the lines of how I carry myself, how I was raised, how me and my family coordinate, how we're going to go about things and do things,” Walls noted. “That's kind of what I base my vote on and my view on.”
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