President Donald Trump plans to attend the New York Yankees' game against the Detroit Tigers on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks after speaking at a Pentagon memorial ceremony, the team and event organizers said.
Trump is scheduled to be at the Pentagon for a 9/11 commemoration earlier in the day and then travel to Yankee Stadium for the evening game, which begins at 7:05 p.m. Eastern. The Yankees said gates would open at 4 p.m. — earlier than the usual hour-and-a-half before first pitch — and urged fans to allow extra time for entry because of enhanced security measures. Fans were also encouraged to use public transportation because of street closures and increased restrictions on items allowed inside the ballpark.
The team said there will be pregame ceremonies to honor victims and first responders of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks; it was not immediately clear how, or whether, the president would participate in those on-field activities. Vice President J.D. Vance visited Lower Manhattan earlier in the day as part of separate commemorations, a sign of multiple events taking place across the city.
Security around the game may be heightened following the shooting death this week of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. The Yankees observed a moment of silence for Kirk before the first pitch of the evening, and officials said additional security measures had been implemented at all stadium entrances.
Trump has a history of attending major sporting events but has not attended a Major League Baseball game during his second term. He attended Game 5 of the World Series in Washington in 2019, and was at the 2021 World Series matchup between Houston and Atlanta. He had previously planned to throw out a first pitch at a Yankees game in 2020, but the appearance was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The visit comes as the Yankees contend for an American League East title late in the season; the team had lost the first two games of the series against Detroit. The Tigers are leading the American League Central.
Yankee Stadium officials reiterated stadium policies for the evening, noting that some entrances will be closed and advising fans to arrive early. Local law enforcement and federal security agencies did not immediately release further details about protective measures for the president's appearance.
The president's attendance marks a high-profile presence in New York on a day of national remembrance, with multiple commemorative events scheduled at the Pentagon, in Lower Manhattan and at other sites around the country.