‘What a disappointment’: Tampa Bay Rays’ Taylor Walls slammed for gesture like Trump's after he was shot

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls found himself at the center of a political storm after an "inside joke" celebration during the Sunday, July 21, game against the Yankees went viral, as per Fox News.

Walls, who reached second base on a double, made a gesture inspired by former president Donald Trump. Facing the Rays' dugout, he pumped his fist and exclaimed "fight, fight", echoing Trump's reaction after surviving an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13.

Taylor Walls' Trump-inspired gesture goes viral across social media platforms

The gesture, captured on video and shared on the social media platform X, quickly garnered nearly 15 million views by late Monday, July 22.

Walls, addressing the media after Monday’s game, clarified his intentions. He emphasized that the gesture was not meant as a political statement but was a nod to Trump's resilience following the shooting. However, given the unexpected attention, Walls indicated he "probably won’t" repeat the gesture.

"It was more so the symbolism of 'get knocked down, get back up, keep fighting, keep grinding' and kind of just grit (and) determination. That’s kind of more so what it was. It wasn’t necessarily directed at Trump politically," Walls explained.

"More so the inspirational side of someone (who) almost just got their life taken away from them and their first instinct was to stand up and show strength," he continued.

Walls, a 28-year-old Georgia native and Florida State alum, appears to be the first major-leaguer to publicly show support for Trump in such a manner. Although the Cardinals recently performed a dugout celebration that some perceived as Trump-related, players denied any connection.

Walls recounted discussing and joking about Trump’s reaction to the shooting with his teammates but insisted there was no premeditated plan to include it in his on-field behavior.

"It was definitely not something I just thought, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to do this.’ That definitely was not what it was. It was more of a joke that just ran around with me and the guys in the clubhouse the day before, the two days before (Sunday’s game, which was the first in which he got a hit since the shooting)," said Walls.

He described the moment as spontaneous, prompted by his teammates' anticipation and laughter.

"It was one of those things that we were in the moment. I got on (base) there. And I saw the guys just laughing, cracking up, so I knew they were anticipating me to do it and I was like, 'Alright, I’ve got to give it to them now.' And that was kind of it. ... It was pretty much just excitement from first of all getting on second base, and then the guys kind of rooting me on. So it was just kind of instinctive," Walls revealed.

Taylor Walls faces fury online for Trump-inspired gesture

The internet, however, was swift and fierce in its response, as many users voiced their disapproval.

One Facebook user said, "Keep politics out of baseball."

Another remarked, "That broken down old man Trump has serious cognitive, moral and ethical issues. His rightwing christian base look at those things as assets," and someone else added, "He should concentrate on his job and stay out of politics while working."

A person mentioned, "Just more evidence MAGA is a cult."

"Trump is a fascist. This guy must be a moron," declared one more, whereas another person commented, "Stop ruining sports with politics please. This applies to everyone."

A comment read, "What a disappointment."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.