Rays shortstop Taylor Walls performed a Trump-inspired “Fight!’ celebration after a big hit over the weekend, and he’s not shy about complimenting the former president for his literal courage under fire.
Walls hit a double at Yankee Stadium on Sunday and then performed the now iconic move begun by the 45th president of the United States after the attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania political rally on July 13.
Taylor Walls did the Trump "Fight! Fight!" after this double pic.twitter.com/8K5ovTEIQh
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 21, 2024
While speaking to reporters ahead of the Rays’ game against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Walls made it clear how the president’s strength in that terrifying moment inspired him.
“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. 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 said he would not likely use the celebratory “Fight!” move anymore, calling the whole thing a “joke.” Then, he seemed to backtrack from downplaying the celebration.
“Joke may not be the right word,” Walls clarified. “It was kind of just something that we had together that we thought was kind of funny, that we thought would be all right. I don’t really see that going much further than that. I don’t foresee myself doing it again.”
Walls did not say who he was voting for in this election. However, the Georgia native did speak about the factors that would help him make that decision.
“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 explained. “That’s kind of what I base my vote on and my view on.”
It’s probably a safe bet that a Biden/Harris voter would have chosen a different celebration.
