NEW YORK — President Donald Trump attended Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11, 2025, for the New York Yankees’ 9-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. The night marked the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and Trump’s appearance brought moments of pride, tension and spectacle.
The good: clubhouse pep talk and surreal memories
Trump arrived in the Yankees’ clubhouse before the game. He shook hands with players and delivered a brief pep talk. “You’re going to win. You’re going to go all the way, and you’ll get in the playoff,” he told the team.
For Aaron Judge, the meeting was unforgettable. “Never met an active president before,” Judge said. “No matter your beliefs. Especially today, 9/11, the strength and resilience that New York City showed during one of the darkest hours, darkest times. It’s just an important day for all of us to come together, really.”
Trump shared a playful moment with Judge, saying, “You have that much muscle, you have to hit the ball perfect. You’re a fantastic player. … You’re an unbelievable player.” Judge later called the whole experience “a surreal day.”
The Yankees captain then backed up the pep talk with power. He homered in the first inning, his 45th of the year, then added another in the third for his 361st career homer, tying Joe DiMaggio for fourth in franchise history. “I guess we’ve got to have him around more often if we’re going to go out there and score that many runs,” Judge joked afterward.
Manager Aaron Boone called the visit “meaningful” and admitted it was a little nerve-racking. “You’re a little nervous, but he’s great in that setting, real personable,” Boone said. “It was a really, really cool interaction.”
Even Anthony Volpe, sidelined with injury, shared a handshake with the president. Reliever Fernando Cruz provided comic relief when teammates urged him to get dressed quickly after Trump entered while he was still in a towel.
Trump signed at least one autograph before leaving the clubhouse. Players said the meeting helped lift spirits after two tough losses.
The bad: mixed reactions and strict measures
Not everything was celebratory. When Trump appeared on the Yankee Stadium video board during the national anthem, cheers mixed with boos. The same pattern repeated in the second inning when public address announcer Paul Olden introduced him as “the 45th and 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.” Some fans stood and applauded. Others jeered.
Crowd reactions swung back and forth all night. At times, chants of “USA, USA” rang out. In other moments, boos and scattered chants of “Donald Trump” broke through. The atmosphere reflected the political divide that surrounds the former president.
Security also added strain. Gates opened three hours early. Fans faced restrictions on bags, liquids, laptops and tablets. Lines stretched around the block as Secret Service, NYPD and TSA screened thousands of people. Helicopters circled above. A heavy police presence was visible in and around the park.
One fan, David Cordero, who traveled from California, said the precautions made the day harder. “Just making, I think, people’s lives harder when we’re just trying to enjoy a game during, I think, a big day in a lot of people’s lives,” he said.
Others welcomed the visit despite the inconvenience. A Sept. 11 first responder carried a flag with the numbers 45 and 47 stitched into an American flag design, referencing Trump’s two terms. “We come every 9/11 and it’s a lot of healing that goes on right now,” the fan told reporters.
The ugly: speculation, politics and Trump spectacle
Trump sat in Yankees president Randy Levine’s suite, near owner Hal Steinbrenner, behind three panes of bulletproof glass installed for protection. Several Republican members of Congress, including Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Nicole Malliotakis and Elise Stefanik, joined him. Trump administration officials Pam Bondi, Lee Zeldin and Bill Pulte were also present. Conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly chatted with Trump in the suite and later joked with reporters, “I almost got arrested,” after he was stopped by police trying to cross a barricade outside the stadium.
Outside, vendors sold Yankees caps in one hand and MAGA hats in the other. Some fans bought tickets specifically to see Trump. Others said they were surprised by the appearance.
Online, speculation swirled about why Trump did not throw out the first pitch. Tabloids suggested health concerns after images from earlier in the day at the Pentagon circulated. No first pitch came, and the president instead stayed in the suite, standing for key moments.
During the seventh-inning stretch, Trump stood for “God Bless America.” Minutes later, “YMCA” blared and he did his signature arm dance from the suite, drawing laughter from supporters and mimicry from a few Tigers players on the field.
The atmosphere at times blurred the line between sports and politics. Some fans said Trump’s appearance overshadowed the solemnity of the anniversary. Others argued his presence added weight to the occasion. Yankees fan Ben Steinman said, “It’s really scary. I hope that we all together can kind of use this as like a healing moment, and you know, come together and try and cut through the political divide. Sports is a way to get away from all that.”
Trump left after the seventh inning. As he departed, fans chanted “Donald Trump! Donald!” giving him a raucous send-off.
A night that had it all
The night produced many layers. Judge’s two home runs tied him with a legend. Boone and players spoke about a surreal experience. Trump’s pep talk and handshake moments energized the clubhouse. Yet the crowd reactions, strict security, and swirling political undertones made it impossible to separate the baseball from the politics.
Trump became only the third sitting president to attend a game at Yankee Stadium, following George W. Bush in 2001 and Warren Harding in 1923. Like those moments, his visit is now part of the stadium’s long history. It was a night of good, bad and ugly, all packed into one of baseball’s most symbolic stages.
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