Trump’s invitation to Yankees game sparked backlash from several New York City officials (File)
Washington:
US President Donald Trump threw a curve ball on Sunday when he announced he would no longer throw the New York Yankees game launch next month.
“Due to my strong focus on the Chinese virus, including scheduled meetings on vaccines, our economy, and many other things, I will not be able to be in New York to deliver the @Yankees’ keynote address on the 15th August, “Trump tweeted, using a term for the novel coronavirus widely decried as racist and stoking conspiracy theories.
“We’ll get to that later in the season!” he added.
Trump said during his coronavirus press briefing on Thursday that Yankees President Randy Levine asked him to pitch the first pitch in the team’s home game against the Boston Red Sox.
The announcement came an hour before the start of the Major League Baseball pandemic-delayed season, with infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci pitching the first pitch for the Washington Nationals.
The defending World Series champions said on Monday they invited Fauci, a big fan who can often be seen sporting a Nationals-branded mask, to pitch the pitch – an honor normally reserved for the US president.
The Fauci has grown in popularity during the pandemic, widely recognized as the country’s leading voice in public health and in the face of the challenges associated with the coronavirus crisis.
But Trump, who is said to be angered by Fauci’s popularity and profile, recently cut back on the scientist’s television appearances.
Fauci has also been attacked by Trump’s team in recent weeks and hasn’t even been invited to some of the recent coronavirus briefings.
Trump’s invitation to the Yankees game sparked backlash from several New York City officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, who tweeted to the team on Saturday: “After CONDEMNING racism, the next step is not to invite him to your pitcher’s mound.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
