Rays shortstop Taylor Walls did a Trump-inspired “Fight!” celebration after a big hit over the weekend, and he didn’t shy away from praising the former president’s literal courage under attack.
Walls hit a double at Yankee Stadium on Sunday and then performed a now-iconic move that the 45th president of the United States began doing after the July 13 assassination attempt at a political rally in Pennsylvania.
After the double, Taylor Walls performed Trump’s “Fight! Fight!” pic.twitter.com/8K5ovTEIQh
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 21, 2024
Speaking to reporters ahead of Tuesday’s Rays-Blue Jays game, Walls revealed how inspired he was by the strength the president showed during that frightening moment.
“I think it’s very moving that in a split second, anyone’s life can be taken,” Walls said, “and they don’t really understand what’s going on in that moment.”
“To be able to rise up right away and show strength means a lot to me. Anyone that goes through a situation or an event like that is strong when it happens. To me, it shows a kind of character and I feel like I’ve faced similar challenges in baseball, but on a much more subdued level.”
Walls said he would no longer use the “Fight!” gesture and called the whole thing a “joke” before appearing to backtrack on his downplaying of the celebration.
“Maybe joking isn’t the right word,” Walls explained, “It was just something we were doing together and we thought it was kind of funny and we thought it was OK. I don’t think I’ll take it any further than that. I don’t think I’ll do it again.”
Walls didn’t say who she would vote for in this election, but the Georgia native spoke about the factors that will influence her decision.
“You can read between the lines of how I carry myself, how I was raised, how my family and I work together, how we approach things and how we act,” Walls explained. “That’s what I base my vote and my opinions on.”
One can assume that those who voted for Biden/Harris would likely have chosen a different celebration.
