Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls clarified on Tuesday that his Donald Trump-inspired celebration after a hit on Sunday was not meant as an endorsement of the Republican presidential candidate, and he added that he is unlikely to repeat the gesture in the future.
Walls celebrated by pumping his fist and shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” after hitting a double against the New York Yankees on Sunday. This celebration mimicked Trump’s reaction after a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign event in Pennsylvania on July 13.
“I think it’s pretty inspirational when any person, in the blink of an eye, their life could be taken from them,” Walls explained before the Rays faced the Toronto Blue Jays. “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 emphasized that his gesture was more about showing resilience and strength rather than political support. “Anyone in that situation or that type of event, when it happens, it’s strong. It kind of represents character to me, and similarly, I feel like I’ve faced challenges in baseball, albeit on a much smaller scale.”
RELATED: Former ESPN star Keith Olbermann Questions Whether Trump Was Actually Shot
The fifth-inning double off right-hander Marcus Stroman was Walls’ first hit since the incident. This month, Walls has recorded five hits in 33 at-bats, including four singles. Despite this, Walls mentioned he does not plan to repeat the celebration.
“That was kind of more of a joke that we have with guys in the locker room,” he said. “Joke may not be the right word. 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.”
When asked about his voting intentions for the upcoming election, Walls declined to specify his choice, referencing President Joe Biden’s recent decision not to seek reelection.
Walls, a four-year veteran from Georgia, stressed that his upbringing and values significantly influence his political decisions. “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,” he said. “That’s kind of what I base my vote on and my view on.”
Overall, Walls wanted to make it clear that his actions were more about personal symbolism rather than a political statement.
